


Born Under a Bad Sign

by TheCarrot



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bad Luck, Curse Breaking, Curses, Epilogue now included!, Finn is cursed, Ghost BB-8, M/M, Magic, Poe is a witch, Supernatural Creatures, Supernatural Elements, The House Is Alive, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Witches, more like a medium burn, not exactly a slow burn...
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:14:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 46,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27215503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCarrot/pseuds/TheCarrot
Summary: “Ah, I see now, and that is how it is, is it?”Finn startles again, the broken chair arm slipping from his fingers and he flinches when it clatters to the floor loudly. “Sorry.” He rasps.The woman waves him off. “Worry not my child, a chair is easily replaceable, but I fear this has caused you trouble more than even I can dare think.” She reaches out to touch his arm but Finn quickly pulls his hands back and away.No. Finn begs in his head. That’s not safe.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Finn
Comments: 187
Kudos: 83





	1. a bar in the middle of nowhere

**Author's Note:**

> Jumping on the WitchAU bandwagon like...five days before Halloween...

The bar is set almost in the middle of nowhere when Finn finds it. A large building with one or two cars parked along the front, more in the back and a few large tractor trailers idling further up the highway, lights on as their drivers no doubt order food from the bar.

It’s the only place Finn’s seen for miles. 

Finn hesitates before he enters, the old greying wood and dusty windows of the building don’t look reassuring, but then again, nothing in his life is particularly reassuring. Never has been. The small steps hold, but the door handle that turns under his touch gives way altogether a moment later, metal pieces clacking to the floor and rolling away.

He sighs heavily, gathers what he can but Finn is positive there’s pieces of the handle that will never be found. Experience has taught him to not even bother looking anymore. He sets what he can on a nearby table and heads toward the bar, a nearby waiter shooting him a dirty look when she has to move and close the door that blows open behind him.

That’s just how all doors operate around him. 

Finn slides into the stool, throws a crumbled bill onto the counter to the tall man behind the bar with a fierce looking mohawk and dark skin. “A beer, please, whatever’s cheapest.”

The man eyes him warily, and Finn waits, waits to see if he has been noticed and wonders if he will be served; or if the man with the mohawk is going to kick him out before anything more is even said. 

Finn has that effect on people. 

The man turns away from him and Finn resigns himself, only to be surprised in the next moment when Mohawk sets a glass of beer down in front of him. It’s flat like it always is, but it’s beer and Finn is thirsty and he doesn’t care about the small things like that anymore. Mohawk flicks the crumbled bill back at Finn and sets down a bowl of peanuts next to the flat beer with a low growl. 

The peanuts are overly stale, a few of them chewier than they should be but Finn is used to that. Is happy enough the wooden bar stool beneath him hasn’t given way just yet.

Despite him not caring about them, it’s still the small things in his day that give him hope. 

By the time he finishes his beer, and even warm flat beer is a treat these days, Finn begins to wonder if he will be able to squirrel one more from Mohawk when a noise behind the bar brings his eyes up from where his threadbare jacket is sticking to the bar.

Mohawk is there by the till and now next to him, coming up to barely his waist is a squat woman, aged and wrinkled, with dyed orange hair and sunglasses on. She’s the strangest looking woman Finn’s ever seen and Finn startles almost out of his chair entirely when she turns to glance at him. He’s distracted from her a moment later however when the arm of his stool breaks when he leans against it to steady himself and Finn grimaces. Takes it and carefully sets it on the bar, wonders how he’s going to pay for it. This always happens.

“Ah, I see now, and that is how it is, is it?”

Finn startles again, the broken chair arm slipping from his fingers and he flinches when it clatters to the floor loudly. “Sorry.” He rasps. 

The woman waves him off. “Worry not my child, a chair is easily replaceable, but I fear this has caused you trouble more than even I can dare think.” She reaches out to touch his arm but Finn quickly pulls his hands back and away. 

No. Finn begs in his head. That’s not safe.

Dark eyes rise up slowly, to make sure he hasn’t just irreparably angered the woman and Finn pauses, feels everything still around him when he sees the woman climbing up the back of the bar so she can be at eye level with him. Her sunglasses slip down her nose and for the life of him, Finn has seen a lot of colours, but he could not describe the strange oragne-gold that looks back at him.

“I am Maz.” The woman greets, smile wry. “What is your name dear boy?”

Finn’s not really sure, any records of his real name had been lost years and years ago. “I call myself Finn ma’am.” 

Maz grins back at him, climbs down the bar and Finn watches in amazement as she goes to pour another beer, a large glass this time and brings it back to him.

There’s bubbles in it.

“Drink up child,” Maz says as she sets it before him and Finn holds the glass with a shaking hand, like it will break in upon his fingertips. Has had that happen many a time before, and sips at the liquid. Marvels when the bubbles run over his tongue… but how?

The sound of plastic hitting the bar draws Finn’s attention and he sees Maz putting a bag of crisps and another bag of what looks like beef jerky in front of him. 

“I-I can’t- ma’am I can ‘t pay for this.” 

“Nonsense,” Maz shakes her head and moves to sit on the edge of the sink and really lean over the bar to shove her face into Finn’s. “You’ve paid enough in your suffering dear. Now eat up, drink up,” She taps the bag of crisps. “And when you’re finished there will be a silver Chevy five minutes away. It’ll take you where you need to go. A diner in the next town and there young Finn, you will find what you need.” 

She’s gone in the next second and Finn wants to ask so many questions. Wants to know why his beer is still bubbly and the food still fresh, yet with years of experience Finn knows better than to look a gift horse in the mouth. Instead he just cracks open the jerky and tears into it... it’s beyond delicious. It’s meaty and spicy, and wholly unlike the other bags he’s ever bought in corner stores and gas stations that are so salty it would dehydrate a cactus, the bag of crisps are still full of air and perfectly crunchy. 

This is by far the weirdest thing to ever happen to him. Strange in it’s normalcy and Finn wants to find Maz and ask her how she’s done it. Ask why she seems unaffected by him. Only once she's disappears, Maz does not return. Instead Mohawk takes his spot back behind the bar, looking far too intimidating to ask anything of and Finn carefully slides out of the broken stool, slinging his bag back over his shoulder. 

There’s a warble to his back and Finn glances at Mohawk who is following him out and waving goodbye to him. The door hinge breaks when he opens it and the same waiter from before glares at Finn when he does his best to hang it back upright. 

Mohawk waves the waiter away and takes the door from Finn with one hand, shooing the younger man away while pointing to the road. 

So Finn goes.

The September air is just starting to settle in as night begins to fall. Cool and crisp with the dusk hour that makes the horizon line glow like it’s on fire and Finn starts to make his way down the dusty road. His backpack is light on his shoulders, filled with his meager belongings and there’s a new hole in the knee of his jeans thats letting in cold air to brush along his leg uncomfortably. They were new a week ago, but then, that’s how things work with Finn. 

He barely gets out past the glow of the bar when suddenly a loud honk startles him and Finn is utterly shocked when he isn’t assaulted by flying gravel as a decrepit looking silver Chevy truck pulls over in front of him. 

“Hey kid, you need a lift somewhere?” A voice calls out from the cab.

Finn is cautious as he approaches the truck, but not for the reasons one normally is wary of strangers in warm vehicles at night. Far from them in fact. Finn cocks his head to the side to look through the open window into the cab. Doesn’t dare touch the thing lest he somehow affect this stranger's vehicle. For he has learned through the years not to accept many kind gestures from strangers, food and drink are hit and miss. But free rides? He steers away from those most of all. For every car that had ever given him a lift, dies shortly after. Whether it be the engine stalling out or the sudden gas needle falling to E, Finn always seems to end up walking again. One time even the frame of a beater car broke away from the chassis... and Finn doesn’t want anything bad to happen to this guy and his old truck.

But the man is throwing open the door and Finn takes in the silver hair and faded leather jacket. Lifts his gaze to meet kind blue eyes that seem almost amused by his hesitance. The half-smirk kind of smile the man wears feels like it’s daring Finn to refuse. However Experience is the better part of valour, and Finn Is just about to turn the man away when Maz’s words whisper back to him. 

_It’ll take you where you need to go_

“Are you sure you don’t mind?” Finn asks quietly. 

The older man rolls his eyes with a scoff. “Come on kid, get in.” 

Finn takes a deep breath and nods slowly. Takes a risk and climbs into the cab of the truck. “Thank you.” He offers digging his fingertips into the material of his bag and tries to keep from throwing up with his nerves. What’s it going to be this time?

“Names Han.” The man grins pulling back out onto the road. A rattle starts immediately in the front of the truck, and Finn’s heart sinks so quickly it’s like he’s been dipped in an ice bath again. Han however, just reaches out and smacks on the front dash and the rattling stops. Finn's jaw drops. “So where ya heading champ?” 

The younger man hesitates, staring in a mix of awe and fear at Han because what the hell? But when nothing else happens Finn starts with a bit of dread in his voice. Maz had not given him the actual name of the place. “Uh... there's um, a diner. In the next town...” He tries. 

Han doesn’t seem perturbed however, just laughs and nods, “Yeah, I know it, Maz has a thing with that place.” He rolls his eyes fondly as he says it however. 

Finn just nods, unsure what he could say, doesn’t want to jinx anything when things are… like this. The car is still intact, as much as Finn suspects it ever was, and there’s no burgoing accidents happening around them, no rain clouds in the distance-- Something soft hits him in the face and Finn nearly jolts out of his skin.

“You should catch some sleep, it’ll be a few hours.” Han muses and chucks a jacket from the behind the bench seat to Finn as well. The puffy green coat landing on top of the blanket he's already tossed there. “Seriously, you look like crap kid.” 

Finn would be insulted, but he’s not. Other people have said far worse things to him. And he is tired. But, “Um.. I shouldn’t.” Finn sighs, hands already warmed by the weight of the blanket. Nothing has crawled out of it onto him, no thread tangled up in his fingers and unraveling it. And isn’t that amazing? “I-I have nightmares…” 

Han scoffs and flicks at a small pair of gold dice hanging from the rearview. “Well, give it a whirl anyways kid.”

He’s a little surprised he hadn’t noticed them earlier, but the more Finn looks at the dice the heavier his eyelids seem to become. The strangeness of a full stomach and the warmth of a blanket. Thinks he must be overly exhausted when a passing streetlight shows not numbers on the side of the gold dice, but rather symbols Finn’s never seen before.

“You really don’t mind?” Finn asks.

“Shut up and go to sleep, for Kriff's sake.”

Finn hides a small smile, the action feeling strange on his lips as he pulls the jacket into his arms. Nothing rips and the zipper works perfectly. Tears prick at the corner of his eye and Finn can see Han keep his eyes pointedly out the front window. 

The road beneath them goes by quickly and Finn nods off against the window, no pothole jerking him awake as he curls up under the worn blanket. Asleep within moments.


	2. a stranger on a strange day

Finn startles awake and surprise hits him the same way the sun seems to be hitting the front dash. Glaring and bright in the early morning light. So crisp and clear that it highlights all the dust and coffee stains dried there. But there’s no visions of his nightmare behind his eyes and Finn blinks tiredly, astounded. Wonders what woke him-

A rap of knuckles against the window snaps Finn to attention and he turns to stare at Han, who is no longer in the driver's seat. Actually, they’re not even moving. It takes a few moments before Finn can get the blanket untangled from his seatbelt and his legs. When he finally manages to stumble out of the beat-up old Chevy and onto the sidewalk, his bag slips out behind him, hitting the pavement with a thump. Yet instead of his usual sigh, Finn smiles down at it. There’s nothing breakable in there anyways and it wasn't in a puddle. That makes for a good start. He carefully folds the blanket in his hands, setting it back on the bench seat and is quietly floored when it doesn’t slide back out of the truck seat and onto road next to his bag.

“You’re a good sleeper when you get the chance, eh kid?” Han laughs, taking a sip out of the paper cup in his hand, points at Finn with the grease stained bag in his hand. “Rolled into town and you didn’t even move.”

“Oh, Sorry about that-” Finn starts but Han waves him off. 

“Relax, anyways, your diner.” Silver hair flies everywhere as Han nods behind him and Finn turns dark eyes onto the nondescript building. The smell of grease permeates the air. Fresh coffee wafts out from the plain looking doors and the scent deep fried hash-browns seems to have sunk into the very surroundings of the street. “Food’s pretty decent inside.” 

Finn doubts that. He's never had food turn out well for him in any establishment. Save last night. In a bar he thought he may have dreamed up. Finn just frowns, tries to shake the rest of the sleep from his limbs and goes to take the borrowed jacket off. Again he doesn’t even struggle with the zipper. “Thank you for for the drive, and for letting-”

Han however, doesn’t seem in the mood to let him finish any of his sentences because he waves his coffee at Finn to cut him off. “Keep it kid, It looks good on ya.” Finn pauses, counts the jacket as good as lost by the end of the day but does it back up anyways. The weather in this town is colder than the last and Finn relishes the reprieve from it, as short as it will be.

The older man smirks and points to the building behind them again. “Good luck with that by the way. He’s kind of a lot.” And then Han is gone; heading off down the road with a wave and disappearing into the crowd. 

Finn watches him go, poleaxed and perplexed; until finally he can shake himself out of it. Finn shuts the door to Hans’ truck, frowning when there's no lock to hit, and bends down to grab his bag off the sidewalk before heading inside.

The bell above the door jingles loudly and half the diner turns to look at the doorway when it keeps on ringing annoyingly even after the door is closed. By the time it stops making noise Finn is sliding into a stool at the long counter. He can only wince when the salt and pepper shakers go flying off the formica top the moment he touches the menu.

“What can I get ya?” An annoyed waitress asks him, leaning down to pick up the dropped shakers and she puts them down on the wrong side of her galley, far from Finn’s reach. 

Finn wonders if he’s ready to subject himself to burnt eggs and raw bacon this early. “May I have a coffee please?” Knows better than to try and ask for any sort of sugar or milk. The bored looking waitress leaves and comes back, setting a black tea down in front of him before walking away. 

“Well that could have been worse.” Finn mutters to himself looking down at the tea. At least it wasn’t the tomato juice again. He shivers and sips at the tea, always careful to never use the cup handle and glances around. The newspaper on the seat next to him catches his attention and Finn starts to look over the front page photos. It’s the best way for him to catch up on events, but he has learned to not even bother trying to get his own out of the newspaper boxes on the street. 

Air rushes through the diner as the bell jingles again, ringing only once like it’s supposed too as the door slams shut again. Yet Finn pays it no mind. Not until the sudden feel of someone sliding into the chair next to him makes him look up. Finn blinks in surprise at the strange man, at the tousled, wind blown curls, sparkling brown eyes set against golden skin and stubble that covers a wide grin that makes Finn’s stomach flip over. 

He’s beautiful. 

Almost as soon as he has the thought Finn is shutting it down. His teeth clacking as he looks pointedly away from the stranger who is undoing his scarf. Nothing activates his ‘thing’ faster than liking something. Especially people.

“Hi, I'm Poe!” The man introduces, nudging Finn with his elbow and a beaming smile that only falls a little when it causes Finn to spill a bit of his tea onto the newspaper. “Sorry, I-” The man is interrupted when the waitress finally comes back over to take his order.

Finn has already decided that he’s not in the mood for dealing with whatever would end up in front of him should he try to eat. Doesn't want to spoil the food of last night with whatever the universe would pass for food here. That’s the way his life works after all. 

“Hey, can I get two black coffees please, one for me, one for him?” The man, Poe, orders. “ And a plate of eggs, hard cooked with extra chewy bacon and some pancakes, super crispy with whipped cream?” 

Dark eyes watch the man, not terribly annoying Finn, but this 'Poe' man has been sitting next to him for almost two minutes. His morbid curiosity kind of wants to see what the gorgeous stranger will end up with on his plate as the waitress goes off. 

She comes back with two coffees, one black and one white with milk and sets them down in front of Poe. Finn eyes the coffees enviously, flinching away a second later when Poe slides the made up coffee over to him without hesitation and proceeds to take a sip of the black one. Finn stares down at the offered coffee, clutches the black tea in his hand a little closer, wincing when a bit of the hot liquid sloshes out again. Its onto his hand this time. “I’m sorry, who did you say you were?” He doesn’t switch out his drinks.

“Poe. Poe Dameron. You’re Finn right?” Poe grins again and reaches out to clap Finn on the back; and Finn is gobsmacked when it doesn’t miss and hit his head. Is further shocked when the man takes the tea from his grip to replace it with the coffee, all without spilling another drop. “Maz called me last night, say’s you’ve been having some… issues…”

“That’s one way to put it.” Finn scowls into his new coffee, confused beyond belief, but deigns to takes a sip of whatever putrid mess is in the cup. His expression clears a second later. There’s milk **and** sugar in it and Finn’s almost weak with how delicious it is. It doesn’t even burn his lips. 

“Right, sorry,” Poe winces, looking like he’s actually sorry that he brought it up, but also with an air to him that makes it sound like he’s going to do it again. The food arrives before he can though, and Finn can’t help staring at Poe in confusion when the man passes him the plate of bacon and eggs… and it’s all cooked in a way he’s only ever dreamed of. Eggs sunny side up, bacon that’s chewy and crispy, not still half frozen and toast that’s a golden brown instead of burnt black. 

“Dig in buddy, we got a long day ahead of us!” Poe chuckles and takes a bite of one of his pancakes. Finn’s never seen pancakes look that perfect before. Drizzled with maple syrup and dusted with icing sugar like they are.

Finn… Finn has no idea what's going on anymore. Between last night at the bar, and the events there, then Han’s truck and his nightmare free sleep. And now this… this man…

“There’ll be time for questions later okay?” Poe cuts through his thoughts, nudging Finn with his shoulder gently. “For now, eat.” 

And Finn’s had worse days. Far worse days. Not ones that have necessarily been less weird, but if something is, gods forbid, is about to go mostly okay for him… He’s learned a long time ago that the fall afterwards will be monumental so he should just sit back and enjoy the stairs before the slide. So he takes the plate, and goes to dig into the food, not even caring that he’s only got two spoons on his napkin until Poe is handing him a fork with a knowing grin. Finn raises an eyebrow, sighs heavily but takes it, only for it to drop to the floor between them in the passing and slide under a small grove in the counter. 

Poe shrugs and laughs at Finn’s pointed look. “Yeah, that’ll happen.” Digs into his pocket and pulls out a plastic fork and passes it over. 

Somehow this one Finn actually gets to hold and he wastes no time at all in cleaning off his entire plate. Even eating one of the pancakes from Poe’s own plate when the man passes it over freely, and it’s light and fluffy and not at all what Finn had ever expected a pancake to taste like.

“Just go with it,” Poe chuckles.

“Oh believe me,” Finn huffs anxiously. “I’m trying.” Because he is. Doesn’t know what else to do. Doesn't say this is the best day he’s had in years, doesn’t jinx what's already jinxed. But his nerves are shot, waiting for the other shoe to drop already and more than anything, Finn needs the follow-up. Needs the sword to come crashing down on his head… because that’s all he’s ever known.

Not Maz and her beer.

Not Han and his truck.

Not Poe and this… everything.

Not all this kindness.

The need to escape is sudden and all consuming and the only familiar thing Finn’s felt in the past fourteen hours. 

“Please excuse me.” Finn mutters, slamming his last crumpled bill from his pocket down onto the counter and makes for the door. 

Poe glances up from his coffee, brown eyes wide as he watches Finn speed out the door and Poe watches the mess in his wake. The ensuing effects his departure causes. Sees the bell fall from where it had been screwed in above the door and shivers at the cold gust of wind the blows through the diner when said door slams back open. Poe raises an eyebrow when the wind sends Finn’s crumbled bill from the counter and onto the floor, only for a passing waiter to step on it and slip, sending his tray full of food and coffee everywhere as he crashes to the ground in a heap. 

“Hmm, this may be harder than I expected.” Poe puffs out his cheeks, throwing down a few extra bills before grabbing the half broken bag Finn had left behind on the other chair and running out of the diner after the man.

—

The last thing Finn expects when his feet hit the sidewalk and he starts walking away, is to hear Poe’s voice calling after him. He expects it even less when said man catches up to him and loops an arm through Finn’s. 

“Look,” Poe starts, breath fogging in front of him as he speaks. “I’m sorry if I was a little pushy, but I haven’t seen a curse like yours in… literal years Finn. But believe it or not, I’m here to help you!”

“You can’t help me.” Finn snaps, voice hard. He’s had people try to help him before and does not relish the idea of any more of that so-called ‘help’. Doesn’t want to face the idea of priests and their exorcisms or the scientists' electro-shock therapy or whatever odd tortures a stranger that uses the word ‘curse’ can think of. Doubts that this man can concoct anything to counteract whatever the hell is wrong with him. At this point it’s just a needless cruelty of the universe to even tempt him with the thought of help. 

Finn stops in the middle of the sidewalk, doesn’t even grunt when the person behind them walks into him and he takes his arm from Poe’s and then his bag from him as well. “Look, thanks for the food Poe, but I’m not good for people okay? Everyone that stays around me for any length of time gets hurt and I don’t want that for you. So thanks, but bye.” 

He sees Poe tilt his head to the side, but Finn doesn’t linger on it, just makes to step off the sidewalk and head out of town, when a shout echoes from behind him.

“FIRE!” 

Everyone on the street stops and turns to stare at Poe, Finn included and just as he freezes, a car goes whizzing by right where Finn would have been standing on the crosswalk had Poe not yelled. What the hell?

“Chaos curse.” Poe chuckles, reaching out to take back his hold on a speechless Finn’s arm. With an aplomb that Finn does not feel, the dark haired man turns them on their heels and starts off in the opposite direction, dragging Finn along next to him. 

“How?” Finn stumbles but Poe just keeps a hold of him. “H-How did you do that?”

“Magic.”

Finn blinks at the strange man. Right… Magic… “I’m sorry but… what?! There’s no such thing as magic!” He exclaims.

Now it’s Poe’s turn to blink at Finn. He takes a moment to look deeper, look beyond the grey cloud of the curse which hangs over the other man, and Poe can’t help but think that Finn is pretty damn cute with his short hair and tired, dark eyes. “Of course there is.” He motions to Finns... well, everything. 

Like that explains anything.

“I’m just unlucky.” Finn repeats. Words he’s heard all his life; yelled, screamed and spitted at him. 

“No, no buddy. Unlucky is losing two hands of go-fish in a row. This is…” He waves to Finn again. “This is a curse, with a capital C. Major Chaos Curse if what I see floating all around you is real, Although that should fade once we get to my place.” Poe turns them down a side street and Finn can’t bring himself to not follow him. “Which is why you’re coming with me! It’s not often Maz has to interfere and send people my way, usually the universe at large does that, but you know, Chaos and all that, it’s probably been keeping you from traveling much?” 

Brown eyes look back at him and Finn’s eyes shoot up from where he’s watching their jones hands. No sudden poles jumping in between them to break them apart, no sudden spitters from out of nowhere, and the feel of skin on skin amazes him. “Oh.. uh, yeah... short of last night.. I don’t do well with cars and everything?”

“What was different about last night?” Poe quizzes.

“Don’t know, this woman, Maz? Said to get a silver chevy here-”

“Ah, Solo.” Poe rolls his eyes as they turn down another road, this one lined with fewer and fewer houses the further down it they go. “Yeah, dude’s a fucking weird nexus of whatever. The rules don’t apply to him.” 

“Do they to you?” Finn can’t help but ask. 

Poe looks sideways at him curiously. 

“That, back at the diner. My food and the coffee… the car?!” He can feel the anxiety start to claw at him and it’s familiar, the fear, the knowledge that everything is about to go start going wildly wrong. 

“Oh that!” Poe grins and it sends Finn’s anxiety screeching to a halt. “I’m a Witch. With a speciality in Chaos spells and Curses! You name it and If it’s weird and wonky and a pain in the ass, I’m your guy.” He laughs and Finn's face fails to mimic the action. “Really, once you know how they operate, creating a work-around is almost second nature with any curse. Plus I have a bit more immunity to other chaotic things than the average witch, so there’s that.”

“There’s that.” Finn whispers back, voice thin and reedy with shock. There’s so much to unpack in that sentence he doesn’t even know where to start. It’s only when Poe comes to a halt by a driveway leading up to a brick house that Finn actually takes in his surroundings. The house is small and quaint, ivy on one side of it thats goes up to almost cover the chimney. There's a big red door in the front; the wooden steps leading up to it are covered in potted plants he’s never seen before. Stares at the white shutters around the windows instead, and attempts to take in the mundane things about a house he’s never seen up close. Without hesitating Poe starts leading him up the driveway and Finn finally draws himself up enough to take his arm away from the other mans. Tries not to get used to the feeling of the other man's touch already. “Okay... so… so magic is real-”

“Do you mind ghosts?” Poe interrupts.

Finn’s world grinds to a sudden stop, boots scuffing on the gravel. Wonders if this is something he’s going to have the chance to get used too with Poe. “W-what?”

“My roommate, Bee, is a ghost, and it’s got kind of an attitude.” Poe shrugs and it bunches his red scarf up around his ears. “I mean you’ll have your own room until we figure this out,” he waves to Finn again when he says ‘this’ and continues. “But they don’t really have a sense of boundaries so it’s important to just let you know that beforehand.”

He’s getting a headache, Finn thinks as he reaches up to rub across his face. Witches and ghosts? And curses... that lady at the bar must have put something in his beer. That makes a hell of a lot more sense then whatever this is.

“Don’t worry,” the other man says suddenly and Finn looks up at him. “It always seems strange at first, but you’ve been dealing with this Chaos spell for a long time-”

“I was born with it.” Finn sighs, defeat in the line of his shoulders. Hell, he gives up, he’s just going to roll with this now. What else can he do in the face of Magic… and Poe.

Poe grimaces and sets his hands on the warm broad shoulders before him. Channels the magic of the wards around his house to chase away the grey cloud hanging over Finn and the witch is startled when he sees just how kind Finn’s eyes still look. Oh... uh-oh.

“I’m sorry." Poe mutters. "That’s awful.” He knows how these kinds of spells work. Can only imagine how truly terrible Finn’s life has been until now. “But buddy, I swear, I am going to pull out every ounce of lore and power that I have access to okay? I am going to help you get rid of this thing.”

Tightness and heat clog Finn’s throat. No one had ever tried to help him before. Not in any way that hadn’t turned out far worse for Finn than anything his bad luck could bring him. “Y-you don’t have to do this.” 

Finn doubts Poe really can.

“Trust me buddy, we’re gonna do this.”


	3. a place for him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mostly just fluff in this chapter XD

The inside of the house looks as plain and normal as the outside of it and Finn can’t help shifting back and forth on the tips of his boots, ready to turn and run. 

“Come on in, make yourself comfortable.” 

Dark eyes turn towards Poe who is already kicking off his shoes and throwing the big red scarf onto the bench that Finn didn’t notice by the large mirror in the entryway. It’s incredibly domestic looking and Finn just knows he’s going to break something if he moves.

—

Poe smiles at the younger man, the cloud of the curse that had perpetually hung around Finn’s head is almost completely non-existent now. As warded and spelled as his house is to keep most harmful things at bay, the physical manifestation of the curse didn't stand a chance. He pauses a moment then, to take in the fear in those warm kind eyes. Poe thinks that’s what shocks him the most. That Finn, who was apparently born with this curse- and Poe’s heart hurts at the very idea — still manages to have so much kindness in him. He’s still so vibrant and alive.

It amazes him.

He pokes the air with a firm finger, feels Bee prod back just beyond his normal senses, curious but staying back, like it too can feel Finn’s curse trying to settle into its new surroundings. 

“Here, I can take your bag upstairs for you.” Poe offers, nodding towards Finn's bag but doesn’t take a step forward to take it from him.

Finn glances up and away from the coat rack, and yeah, Poe knows he’s got a lot of jackets on that thing, should probably move some of them to the actual closet so Finn has some room for his; but his eyes lift to meet Poes and it’s all the witch can do not to just scoop Finn up into the tightest hug he can manage. 

“Y-You’re really letting me stay here?” Asks with a white knuckled grip on the one working strap of his bag.

“Yeah,” Poe blinks at the wary tone, tries to inject as much warmth and welcoming into his own as he can. “I mean, as long as you don’t mind sticking around here with me while I work on your curse?”

Finn hesitates. But eventually he moves. His hands shaking as he slides his bag off his shoulder. Oh so carefully putting it into Poe’s outstretched hand. Admits softly, “I… have nowhere else to go.” 

Poe’s heart clenches in his chest. Suddenly, all around him he can feel the house move. Shifting things around upstairs and the kitchen re-stocking itself with various foods. A physical response from the chaos magic his house is made of and the spirit that resides in it, that has apparently already accepted this young man as part of the household. 

Good, Poe thinks, swinging Finn’s bag up onto his own shoulder. He can feel Thea tug of Finn’s chaos curse pull at him through his belonging in the bag. Feels it try to snap the threads but Poe doesn’t pay it any heed, merely lets the leftover power flow into him, where his own magic curls around and absorbs it. 

It tastes old in the back of Poe's mind. Like ash and metal and heat.

Unable to help himself, Poe closes the distance between himself and Finn. Moving slowly until he can wrap his arms gently around the man's neck. The witch can hear Finn’s breath hitch in his ear, but the younger mans arms don’t come up in response. That’s okay, Poe thinks, hopes it will be, but says it anyways as he pulls away. 

“It’ll be okay Finn, and I promise, as long as you want to stay here, you’re more than welcome to.” The witch smiles as he points to the coat hook. “You can hang your jacket there whenever you’re ready.” Then Poe turns towards the staircase that leads to the second level and can’t help but add over his shoulder. “It’ll still be there when you go for it again.”

—

It’s warm.

That’s what really strikes Finn the most as he finally spurs himself to be rid of the jacket Han had given him. The down is still inside the material, no pockets have ripped and the zipper has lasted all morning… Finn almost doesn’t want to put it down in case everything he's waiting for, suddenly happens all at once. Eventually he does though, hangs it gently on the coat hook in the small space Poe had left empty. None of the other jackets fall to the floor and the knob he puts the jacket Han had given him onto stays screwed into the post. 

Finn shivers despite the warmth of the house. Maybe because of it, he’s not sure. Removing his boots feels a little bit more normal when he sees the laces on them, frayed and about to break. Much like how **he** feels at the moment. 

His steps are cautious as he moves out of the entryway. Out onto the light coloured hardwood floor that leads him towards what looks like a living room. There’s a large couch covered in blankets, several chairs and stools all facing a large fireplace that’s bracketed with two large green plants, sharp yellow and orange flowers adorning it’s branches. And that really catches Finn’s attention; the plants. He’s never been so close to a live one before. Every green thing he has ever touched before wilted and browned as soon as he got close. Yet these ones stay varied and colourful and alive. So alive. Small pink-petaled ones cover the sill by the large bay window, and droopy looking orchids are arrayed in no particular order on top of the mantle.

Dark eyes take it all in before Finn finds his feet leading him onwards towards what must be the kitchen. It looks like something out of a magazine Finn had seen once, there’s a stove in the corner with something bubbling on the top that smells both delicious and slightly nauseating. A fridge and a sink all set amongst a dark countertop, and scattered all across the dining table are open books, numerous sheets of paper sticking out of their pages. Crumpled pieces tossed everywhere. 

Even here there are plants. A small variety over by the window above the sink, nothing Finn, recognizes. A sprawling ivy that starts above the back door and crawls along towards another doorway that's slid closed. However most noticeably, in a vase on the table by the books, is a large bouquet of cut purple Hyacinth. He’s not sure how the name comes to him, but Finn is just about to reach out and touch them when Poe’s voice startles his hand back. 

“So it’s not much, but you’re welcome to anything you find here.” Poe says with a laugh as he comes into the kitchen, jacket removed and looking well at home as he glances at Finn. At least until his ears turn a little red and Finn watches the witch point at a few dirty dishes and shoo them towards the sink and- yeah, okay… floating dishes make a good play for Witches being real and Poe not being completely off his rocker.

“Um,” Poe continues like he hadn’t just given the proof Finn didn’t know he needed. “Most of the place is pretty modern, it’s hard to keep up with the changes sometimes, I know the plumbing is at least. Your room is just up the stairs to the left, right across from mine. The ah- the attic is up another floor from that, but there’s a lot of magic shit up there I haven’t sorted through in years, so just be careful if you go up there.”

The younger man watches as Poe moves easily around the kitchen and he clutches tightly to the back of one the wooden chairs. He’s supposed to feel at home here? He’s welcomed in such a place? He can’t be… he’ll just destroy it all. 

“Also the house is pretty well warded, so most of the basics of your Chaos Curse won’t work as well here.” Poe adds with barely a pause; says it like the words are nothing. Like they’re a given. “I mean, in general there aren’t a lot of magics that will work in the house, it even buffers out some of my own too, which is kind of annoying, but it’ll allow you to do all the mundane stuff without any trouble.” 

Finn spares a minute to wonder if Poe always talks so much, just as the feeling of something wet slides down his cheeks.

\--

“So, did you want to grab a shower and rest first?” Poe offers sweeping some dried flower petals off his basil plant and throwing them onto the simmering potion on the stove. It sparks and smokes and Poe glares at it balefully before looking at the younger man. “Or did you want to get started right away-holy shit! Are you okay?”

Poe’s heart freezes in his chest when he sees the tear tracks on Finn’s face. Dart's over to the younger man to pull him into a hug, put a hand on his shoulder, something, anything to make him feel better-- but Finn just flinches back and Poe freezes dead in his tracks.

“Sorry.” Finn gasps, voice wet as he covers his face with his hands. “Sorry, it’s just… a lot.” 

A nod is Poe’s only viable response to that. He supposes with that kind of Chaos curse, anything good would be a lot to handle. “Has-” He starts quietly. “Has anyone ever hugged you before?”

Finn nods sharply, lets his hands fall away from his face so he can cross his arms in front of his chest, curling protectively into himself. “Other than you today? O-once or twice… a lady broke her arm right after, and the other one-“ he trails off and Poe nods again.

He’s well aware of what would happen to a normal person with good intentions coming into contact with Finn and- ouch. Poe makes sure to telegraph his movements as he inches closer to Finn. “Would it be okay if I hugged you again? Or just took your hand?” 

Dark eyes watch the witch's hand carefully, but slowly Finn sighs, a low gust of warm air and oh so carefully, slides his hand into Poe’s waiting one. It doesn’t feel like too much, and it’s easy to drop, he thinks, the minute it looks like something is about to go wrong.

Poe’s smile is disarmingly soft and he squeezes once, whispers, “You must be tired.”

Finn is tired. Monumentally tired, although he’s not sure why. The hours he slept in Hans’ truck more than he normally gets in a week alone; but it seems like he can barely keep his eyes open. Nor apparently the lid he keeps over himself to keep his emotions in check around other people.

“Come on,” Poe mutters. Gentle as he tugs Finn out of the kitchen and towards the stairs. Draws all the tendrils of chaos magic that start to float out of Finn and towards the wooden steps as they climb. Poe lets what will come to him automatically do so. But reaches out with his magic a bit harder, sending it through the air around the younger man, absorbing every last errant strand he can find.

The door to the left creaks open and Poe watches Finn stare at it incredibly. “Thank you Bee.” Poe offers mildly, amused by the rather polite way his roommate is behaving, and guides Finn into the room the house had made up for the young man. “So this is your room, It’s not much, but the house isn’t quite sure what you like yet, so once you’re settled you’re more than welcome to ask it to change anything. They’re usually pretty accommodating to guests.” 

As if to prove it, the witch lifts their joined hands and reaches out to touch the wall and Finn’s jaw drops when he feels something thrum along the skin of his fingertips.

“Is… is that Bee?” Finn asks, as the buzz moves up his arms, almost as if it’s curious. He feels that same buzz sharpen and almost prod at his shoulder in annoyance and Finn jumps back.

Poe chuckles and shakes his head. “No, that’s the house.” He holds out his free hand to Finn, who takes it without hesitation this time and Poe has to bury a smile when he holds their hands out in mid air on their other side. The buzz is still there in his other arm, but Finn almost loses his breath entirely when something cool wisps over his other and makes the hairs stand on end on his neck. “That’s Bee.”

Finn presses a bit harder against the wall, and while the cool wisp doesn’t change the buzzing gets a bit louder… almost like a rumbling.

“Wow buddy, the house really must like you.” Poe chuckles, disentangling their hands, but he can still feel the way the house is practically purring at Finn’s touch. “I haven’t heard it make that noise since I moved in.” 

Dark eyes widen in amazement and Finn copies Poe, taking his hands away and immediately feeling bereft of the buzzing, and the feel of the witches hands on his.

“So the bathrooms just there.” Poe gestures towards the closed door on the other side of the room even as he moves towards the closet to grab extra blankets.

Curiosity wins Finn over and he barely hears the witch continue to speak as he shuffles quietly over to where Poe had pointed. Jaw dropping when he sees the large tub with a shower curtain, toilet and cabinet. The sudden urge to see what will break first hits Finn, and he can’t help but touch the ceramic of the sink. Usually that’s enough to start off anything.

However, just like the entryway and the coat hook, just like the kitchen and the stairs, nothing happens. No pipes burst and no cracks form in the basin. 

He lifts a hand to turn the tap on.

—

That’s how Poe finds him a few minutes later, after digging blankets and some towels out of the closet. Brown eyes watch as Finn stands by the sink, hot water steaming as it comes out of the faucet while the younger man draws his hand back and forth through it.

“It’ll be nicer in the shower.” Poe piques up, when he finally shakes himself out of watching Finn marvel at the hot water. He holds up the towels in his hands when astonished dark eyes turn to him and Poe suppresses a shiver. Suppresses his normal ‘can I join you’ tone that he’d take any time an attractive being was in his house. He’s here to help Finn, not scare the kid off because Poe has no self control.

Finn startles at Poe’s words, reminds himself once more that he doesn’t affect things here like he normally does and before the thought even fully crosses his mind, Finn is stripping off his shirt and throwing it to the floor. A strangled noise makes him pause and he glances up to see Poe, red faced and looking away. “Are you okay?”

“G-great.” Poe mutters, voice a bit strained. He sets the towels down on the sink and motions towards the door. “I’m just gonna be downstairs, if you need me…”

“Thank you Poe.”

Poe risks a quick glance backwards, feels his stomach swoop at the sight of scars dotted along the man's back. What in the world could have made those, he wonders, only for Finn’s voice to suddenly break through his thoughts, calling his name with curiosity. 

“Yeah? What is it?”

“What are all of these?” Finn points to the numerous coloured bottles lining the small shelves. 

Brown eyes roll towards the ceiling and even Bee sweeps through the bathroom with amusement. “Gods, suck up much?” Poe muses at the buzz around them and grabs a hold of one of the bottles. Pops the top on the shampoo and takes a whiff before handing it over to the other man with a grin. “Apples.”

Finn takes it with a wide eyed expression. He’s made do with a wash down in a sink more times than he can count, knowing the shower was going to break or just not trusting the water to be clean, and now he’s getting scented shampoos? If this is a dream, Finn doesn’t really want to wake up. Wonders if maybe he’s finally died and this is heaven.

“I think the house just wanted to make sure you had something you liked.” Poe chuckles closing the top on another bottle that he swears is Warm Vanilla Sugar. “And gave you stuff to choose from?” 

He passes the one he’s holding to Finn and claps him on the shoulder until the gobsmacked look starts to fade from those dark eyes. “Take all the time you want, I’ll be downstairs if you need me.”

—

Finn watches Poe leave, is left holding the two bottles in his hand and no idea what to make of anything. He’s still bone deep tired but a gentle wisp ghosting over his bare arm draws him towards the prospect of a long shower. A long hot shower.

He has no idea how long he stands under the spray. Just knows the water doesn’t turn rust coloured, doesn’t shut off, and Finn has to sit down when he realizes this. Puts his back to the surround and breathes past the panic and pinches himself so hard small welts form on his thigh.

This is all real.

A bottle of shampoo floats down to him, the shock of it breaking through the swirling thoughts Finn’s finding himself drowning in and he takes it, feels a wisp against his skin that trails up and over his shoulders, clinging, and he knows it must be Bee. A goddamn ghost is trying to comfort him, Finn gapes and shakes his head. 

The shampoo is the second one Poe handed him and the scent colours everything. Even follows Finn back into his bedroom- _his bedroom_ he gawks at the actual bed for a full minute, and the Warm Vanilla Spice seems to spread out into the air as he sits down on the bed. No springs poke through the mattress, no part of the frame breaks beneath him and Finn can’t help the way he pats the bed absently. There’s a blue duvet on top of it now that wasn’t there when Poe led him in and it’s one of the most beautiful colours Finn’s ever seen. Save a dark brown filled with kindness and chaos. 

The blankets shift around him all on their own, turning down and welcoming Finn into them and… and Finn can’t fight the weight of his own limbs anymore. Doesn’t even have the energy to dig out clothes to wear, instead laying back and dimly registers it when the blankets move to cover him. 

A buzz tickles along the back of Finn’s hand that he shoves under the pillow and a wisp ghosts over his forehead. Finn is asleep moments later. 

Across the room, the house pulls the blind down to cover the sun streaming in through the window until there’s only a small shaft of light coming into the room, and Bee goes back to hover by the bed, just in case their new friend needs anything.


	4. things like magic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy some angst! :D

Dark eyes crack open, no light beam shining into his eyes to hurry his wakening, and Finn rouses himself slowly. Enjoys the extended minutes he takes to wade out of sleep properly instead of having to grab his things and bolt as the motel’s fire alarm echoes overhead. 

It’s beyond a luxury.

He does wake though, sitting up on the bed, blankets pooling around his waist as he stretches out his half-numb arms. Vanilla still coats the room, albeit not as heavily as before and Finn basks in it. Lets it warm him as he swings his legs over the edge and grins almost a little dopily when his feet land on a pair of fuzzy slippers in the same hue as the duvet that had shown up while he was in the shower. 

“Did you do this?” Finn asks aloud, curious if it was Bee or the house; and the buzz that answers him makes him laugh. He thinks how easily he had accepted that magic was real, how this house seemed to be alive around him… how easily he had started to hope that maybe, just maybe, everything that had ever happened around him, wasn’t really his fault. Please let this be real-

Denim hits him in the face a moment later. Finn sputtering out of his thoughts to stare down at the dark wash jeans before suddenly a long sleeve shirt is joining them on his lap. They’re nice clothes, brand new, and also decidedly nothing Finn has ever owned. A wisp nudges his shoulder and Finn supposes that’s as good a sign as any. 

Poe must have left them, he thinks as he carefully slides his legs into the jeans. Experience telling him to be oh so careful as to not rip the seams.

It’s only as he’s pulling his head through the shirt that his eyes land on the small plant that has apparently taken up residence on the bed side table. A bedside table that was also not— 

Okay, he needs to put the magically appearing furniture aside, he thinks. Finn tilts his head towards the small flower, two tiny green leaves with a long stalk with deep red flowers hunched over where a stick has been tied to it to keep it upright, and he can’t help muttering under his breath. “Cute. Did Poe put you in here?”

Finn’s only a little relieved when the orchid doesn’t reply to him.

The stairs creak under his steps as he head downstairs, but they don’t give way. Finn had even stood on the first step for a longer moment than he had too just to test it. He’s greeted by the sight of Poe in the living room he had passed earlier— yesterday even, if the night sky he can see just outside the large bay window holds any truth to the time. 

The witch has the couch and all the chairs pushed aside, rugs tossed over the solid wood coffee table that is now under the small pink flowers on the sill. Poe’s hands are covered in black chalk as he draws circle after circle onto his floor and fills them with strange symbols.

“What are you doing?” Finn can’t help but ask, feels a little bad when Poe startles and messes up one of his designs. “Sorry.”

“Hey,” Poe waves him off with a wide grin and shifts to sit back on his knees. “Not a problem buddy, how’d you sleep?”

Finn shrugs, still a little unused to the kindness in Poe’s voice but he answers honestly. “Really good… no nightmare.” 

Brown eyes wince with sympathy but the smile doesn’t fade from Poe’s lips. “Good, I’m glad.”

Silence settles between them, not awkward per se, but Finn isn’t sure what to do with quiet around the other man, has only seen the energy Poe can exude and it spurs Finn into repeating his question. “Um.. what's that for?” He points at the circles. “Magic?”

“Basically.” Poe admits, running his hand through his hair to push back his curls, leaving a streak of black chalk on his forehead. “I figured while you were asleep I’d get some of my other work done.” 

“I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” The younger man admits. It’s just that after the shower he couldn’t seem to keep his eyes open. 

Poe just shrugs nonchalantly and gets to his feet. “Your body's been fighting a Chaos curse for years buddy,” He grimaces then and tosses the piece of chalk in his hands to the coffee table. “Now that you’re here and it’s not affecting you as badly, you’re gonna be really, really tired. Possibly for weeks.”

Finn’s jaw drops and it turns into a yawn he can’t seem to stifle.

“You’re basically operating with a sleep debt, Finn,” Poe chuckles with a dour look as he explains. “Curses keep you awake which make the sleep debt worse, then the sleep debt makes the curse effects worse and worse and that can affect a person’s sleep… like a really terrible closed loop system buddy, curses are little bastards that way.”

As carefully as he can manage Finn steps further into the room and towards the couch. He still hits a corner of one of Poe’s circles with his slipper as he slides up onto the couch and he grimaces. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it,” The witch muses, waving a hand for the chalk to come back to him, and it’s nothing for him to fix the circle. “It’s not your fault. Like I said, the house will take care of most of the curse, but some little things will still get through.” 

Like he’s trying to prove his point, Poe throws the chalk at Finn when he’s finished and Finn can’t help the speechless look he gives the man back when he catches it and it doesn’t disintegrate in his hands. 

“Next time try aiming for the circle, or the puddle or whatever, tell yourself that you want to ruin whatever you’re aiming to miss and the curse will likely turn you on your heel and you’ll miss it by miles.” 

“But I don’t want to ruin stuff.” Finn’s broken enough stuff in his life, can’t imagine **wanting** to break anything on purpose.

Poe’s smirk slides into something softer that hurts the younger man to look at for more than a moment. “I know, gods that’s what makes your curse so awful.”

Finn shifts on the couch, uncomfortable with the sympathy and Poe must see it because the witch turns back to his circle and starts to dig items out of a nearby bag to place on the floor. Wonders, “Can you work and talk at the same time?”

That startles a laugh out of Poe and bright brown eyes glance up at Finn in amusement. “Of course! Ask Bee, I don’t even need an answer half the time.” 

Finn goes to speak, but something flies by his face and he’s ducking out of sheer reflex. 

“HEY! DON’T THROW THINGS WHEN THERE’S A CURSE IN THE HOUSE!” Poe shouts at the ceiling. 

Bee brushes through the room, Finn shivering when the temperature dips before disappearing altogether and Poe rolls his eyes with a huff. “Sorry about that, no boundaries.” 

“It’s alright,” Finn does his best to shake it off, takes a few breaths to calm his heart and watches as Poe walks over to pick up the book the ghost had thrown. Sees nimble fingers brush a bit of dust off the cover and smiles at the way Poe’s mouth twists when he realizes he’s just put chalk all over the book. “You um, you said you’re a witch right? With the floating dishes and-and everything?”

“Floating dishes?” Then Poe actually remembers the state of his kitchen, and the mess he still hasn’t cleaned up. “Oh, yeah, yeah um, full fledged witch.” 

“I thought being a witch was a girl thing?” Finn asks, then frowns. “Are there a lot of people who are witches?”

Poe shrugs then, looking a little bashful. “Not really, to either of those questions. Witches is more of an all encompassing term nowadays, guys and girls and everything in-between use it. I guess it’s more of an umbrella term for any kind of human with a magical inkling, and honestly, we’re pretty rare these days.”

Finn nods, wonders why it’s rare but doesn’t dare ask for the dark look creeping into the man’s brown eyes. “You also said, that you did… chaos magic?”

“Yup!” Poe’s grin comes back onto his face and he passes the book in his hand to Finn. “There’s different specialties for beings who can use magic, Elementals, so your basic fire, earth, etc, but they’re mostly spirits and other non-sapient creatures. Witches tend to lean towards the more easier magics, Astrology, Healing-”

“What's Astrology?” 

Poe pauses at Finn’s questions, but answers anyways as he makes his way back to the circles. “Astrology, the kinds of magic that are powered by the stars, “ he gestures up to the ceiling and sees Finn’s eyes follow the movement, but he only sees the eggshell white ceiling that hasn’t caved in on him yet. “Divination, fortune telling… tarot cards, you know those cheesy old ladies you see at a carnival that offer to tell you your future for like five bucks?”

Finn just blinks at him in confusion. He’s never been near a carnival. Tells Poe as much.

“Oh…um,” Poe glances down at his half finished work sheepishly. He should know better by now than to think that Finn would understand any of his off the cuff examples. “It’s a big gathering of people, with rides and fun houses that aren’t fun and really gross food…”

The way Finn’s nose scrunches up is one of the cutest things Poe’s seen in a long time. “And that Chaos magic you mentioned… that’s one of the things Witches can learn? That’s what you said yours was, right?”

Curls bounce as Poe nods, “Yup, Chaos magic is easiest for humans to learn because, frankly, have you met humans? We’re all walking disasters so it feeds that magic easiest. But it’s also the hardest to control so you have to be very good in order to deal with chaos magic for any extended period of time. ”

Finn frowns, brows furrowing as he tries to absorb everything Poe is telling him, but it’s a strange concept to try and wrap his head around, even after everything he’s ever been though. 

“Actually,” Poe piques up and Finn looks up at him to see the witch pointing at the book in his hands. “That’s got a lot of information about Chaos Magics in it, and it should have a section on curses. Just keep in mind yours is a lot older and stronger, ergo harder to get rid of, but you can read up on the basics if you want too.”

Carefully Finn lifts the book from his lap, fully expects it to slip out of his grasp and come unbound when it hits the floor, but it stays together even when he runs his finger along the spine. “I can’t read.” He admits softly. Feels shame floods his cheeks when he lifts his gaze to Poe who is looking back at him in confusion. 

“I’ve tried, I mean- ever since I was a kid, but the words on the page never stood still.” Finn sighs and rubs at the back of his neck sheepishly. “I just look at the pictures in newspapers and magazines to get the gist of what's going on, or from TV’s when I’m far enough away to not break them.”

Finn almost startles out of his seat however when Poe is suddenly dropping himself down onto the couch next to him with eyes sparkling with curiosity. 

“Really?” Poe squints at Finn and it takes all of his self control not to just reach into the younger man's centre and start searching out all the aspects of the curse from inside him. “That’s so strange, I mean, curses are like the flu, there’s a variety of symptoms and no ones usually affected by them in the same way; but I’ve never heard of a chaos curse acting on so many aspects of anyone’s life before!” 

The man’s exuberance is almost amusing to Finn. He’s never seen anyone look so interested in him before, at least not for reasons that ended well for him. Finn thinks he likes this better. “Weren’t you in the middle of some work?” He asks with a small laugh, redirecting Poe’s sudden burst of energy. 

Brown eyes glance over at the circles on the floor and Poe can’t help the small pout he turns on Finn. “Can we talk about your curse after I’m done?”

Broad hands lift up and Finn marvels to himself. Is he about to throw away what little self preservation he has? Talking about his inherent ability to destroy everything inside a certain radius, with the one person offering to help him. It sounds like a terrible idea but one glance at Poe’s eager face has him surrendering. “Ask away.”

Poe practically leaps to his feet and Finn watches things he could never have even dreamed about.

—

“-and then you turned that slip of paper into a glass bottle!” Finn recounts gleefully as they make their way into the kitchen, Poe’s arms laden down with books, spell papers and other items Finn had just finished watching him create.

The witch laughs and lifts the small potion bottle from his armload. “It’s for the Moonwater I have to collect next week. Normal glass isn’t strong enough to hold in the moonlight so I have to make them from scratch every time.” Poe holds the bottle out to Finn who freezes and snaps his hands away like he’s been burned. “It’s okay, you can take it. It’d take magic a lot stronger than even mine to break it.”

Finn bites at his lip, but takes Poe at his word. Pushes down years and years of dropping every glass he’s ever touched and reaches out for the small bottle. “C-can you just hold onto it too?” 

Poe smiles back at him softly. “Sure buddy.” Keeping a hand on the neck of the glass as Finn reaches out to hold onto it as well. Poe can feel the small tug of his curse through the connection, but the house absorbs it before his own magic can even come close to it. 

A moment passes, Finn grinning down at the bottle widely, the smile only seeming to widen as he glances up at Poe. “This is amazing.”

Heat rises to the witches cheeks and Poe can feel Bee in the back of his mind practically laughing at him. “It’s… thanks.” Wow, he really needs to get a handle on this. Poe clears his throat and nods towards the kitchen they had stopped just outside of. “Do you want tea or anything?”

Finn's smile dims as he pulls a face. “No thanks, I don’t really like tea, but it’s better than some of the other things I was given when I tried to order a coffee.”

Poe grimaces, setting his books onto the dining room table and motioning for Finn to have a seat. He could well imagine. “That sucks buddy.” 

A cupboard door flies open over the sink and something small and grey shoots out and into Poe’s chest, who catches it clumsily, stares down at it with wonder and a laugh. He holds it up to Finn.

“How about a hot chocolate?” Poe muses, “House recommended.”

Finn shuffles over to look at the small packet over Poe’s shoulder. “I thought chocolate came in a paper wrapper?”

The corner of Poe’s lip twitches up and he steers Finn towards the table. “Tell you what, I’ll make you this and you can try it, if you don’t like it we’ll find you something else okay? And in the meantime, why don’t you start telling me about yourself?”

“About me?” Finn raises an eyebrow, but dutifully sits, only jumping slightly when Poe waves his hand at a metal container on the counter that immediately starts whistling. “Like what?”

“Well, as much as you can tell me, the more I know about the curse the easier it’ll be for me to find a way to remove it.” 

“Oh, sure.” He wonders where to start, but before he even can, a pen lifts up from where Poe had put his books down and wobbles over towards one of the papers. “Um, is that supposed to do that?” 

Poe looks up from where he’s piling snacks on a plate to the pen. “Oh, you don’t mind if I take notes do you? It’s just going to transcribe everything so I don’t miss anything.” 

Dark eyes blink and Finn smiles at the pen, pokes it because he can and watches as the pen returns the gesture, leaving a small iridescent mark on him despite his skin tone. Poe’s chuckle sounds from next to his shoulder as he sets the plate of crackers and peanut butter down in front of Finn while waving over their drinks. 

The scent of the hot chocolate hits Finn immediately, sugary sweet and rich, and he carefully avoids the handle, wrapping his fingers around the warm mug instead when it lands before him. Only then does he notice the white floating things on top when he brings it closer. “Uh?”

“They’re marshmallows.” Poe says after following Finn’s eyes. He grins and pokes the pen to cross off the last few lines of conversation. “They’re the best part of hot chocolate.”

Finn just takes Poe at his word and glances down to the paper, doesn’t dare drink it yet but nods to the paper. “Anywhere in particular you wanted to start?”

“At the beginning.” Poe requests, grabbing another piece of paper and a pencil for his own notes and listens as Finn starts talking.

It’s only as the pen scratches away between them that Poe realizes that Finn’s curse is going to be harder to remove than he thought.

— 

The sun is just starting to creep through the patio door and Finn can no longer keep his eyes open. Every other word is punctuated with a yawn but he does his best to keep going, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. 

A warm hand lands on his shoulder and Finn glances up at Poe who mirrors the tiredness he feels. “Sorry,” Finn mutters through another yawn. 

“It’s alright, I’ve kept you awake too long.” Poe says, gently taking Finn’s long since empty cup from him. He sees Finn go to argue but the witch shakes his head. “Slept debt Finn, remember? You need your rest.”

Finn just stares over at Poe with an unimpressed look, but any heat in it is lost as he yawns once again. 

Poe laughs, getting an arm under Finns and helping the younger man to his feet. “Alright, off to bed with you.”

“Fine, fine,” Finn pushes himself up and hesitates for a moment before darting in for a quick hug. He feels a little raw. Like telling Poe about the things he’s had to deal with ever since he could remember had opened up a part of him that didn’t know what it was like to confide in anyone. His chest feels tight, and yet like a giant weight has been lifted from it at the same time. “Thank you.” He can’t help but add into the fabric of Poe’s shirt before pulling back. 

Brown eyes regard Finn as he steps away and Poe feels the lump he’s been trying to fight down all night, reappear in his throat. It makes his voice weak when he returns the sentiment. “No, thank you for telling me, I... it should help a lot.” 

Finn nods, turns to head upstairs, still in awe of the fact that there's a bed up there waiting for him, only to pause when he hears Poe calling after him.

“Damn, kriff, sorry!” Poe waves at the other man to hold on as he goes over to one of the cupboards, swearing under his breath as he rummages around inside of it. “I know I have one- just gotta… AH!”

Finn raises an eyebrow curiously when Poe comes back to him and holds out a small piece of— “A rock?”

Poe’s brow furrows, “Lepidolite.”

The blank stare Finn gives him isn’t wholly unwarranted and Poe seems to realize that a moment later, grinning sheepishly. 

“Okay, that’s my bad, it’s one of the sleep-stones witches use. It helps with balance, stuff like that.” He explains, taking Finn’s hand in his before dropping the off-purple crystal into it. “Should help with the nightmares.”

“But I didn’t have a nightmare last night?” Finn tells him. He didn’t have one in Han’s truck either and it’s still such a new feeling; uninterrupted sleep. If only he’d stop being so tired while he’s awake. 

Curls bounce as Poe shakes his head. “You did, but the house's magic absorbed so much of it that it allowed you to sleep deeper so you didn’t remember it.” He waves his hand to the wall then back to the crystal. “If you sleep with this, the lithium and mica will absorb the nightmares altogether and it can help clear the sleep-debt faster.” 

Finn holds the crystal up to the rising light and it seems to glow in his grasp. “And I just… sleep holding it?” 

“Yeah, or near you.” Poe pats his pocket as if in example, then carefully sets a hand on Finn’s shoulder, worried it might be too much after the hug, but Finn doesn’t pull away. “Anyway, I didn’t mean to keep you, good night.”

The smile Finn sends him back is blinding and Finn bids him farewell before heading up the stairs.

—

Poe watches Finn go, waits until he hears the door close, waits until the house lets him know that Finn is asleep before going back to his chair and all but collapsing into it. His eyes land on the pile of transcribed notes still on the table and the sob catches in his throat all over again. 

His hands shake as Poe lifts them to cover his mouth against the next harsh breath he takes, eyes burning when he can’t hold back the tears that slip down his cheeks. He squeezes his eyes shut and it’s all Poe can do not to just cry and rage and throw his books at the wall. 

It had taken every ounce of wherewithal not to break down as Finn recounted his days with the Chaos curse.

_”Your parents?” Poe had asked._

_“Dead I guess.” Finn stated simply with a shrug. “Pretty sure anyways, the people I remember from when I was really young never spoke about them, and I just assumed that after the third orphanage I was put in burned down… that my real parents must have died in a fire I caused too.”_

Poe’s chest heaves, wet silent breaths. 

_Finn didn’t lose the grin into his hot chocolate after trying it, even as the conversation had taken dark turn after dark turn. “The Millers dog went rabid, tried to eat me so I ran away, um, I was eight I think. Stayed on the streets for a bit before the police got me. The station was involved in a shoot out that night. That sucked a lot.”_

_The pen wobbled on the table, Poe’s magic making it shake, but it had kept going and Poe had dug his nails into his thigh as he did the same._

Around him Bee wisps through the kitchen, ghosting over his shoulders in the sort of comfort only a ghost can provide.

_”The Hibiki’s were really nice people for the first few days. It was the longest I had stayed anywhere, and… you know, I just started to think I found someplace to stay, when they changed, they turned on all of their kids.” Finn shrugged. “Whatever it is I do to people, I turned them into monsters.”_

_Poe had almost leapt across the table, curled his fingers around Finn’s and stumbled over the amount of times he told the younger man that it wasn’t his fault._

_“Yeah,” Finn smiled. “I think I’m starting to get that.”_

Eventually his gasps level out, and Poe drags himself to the sink for a glass of water, splashes cold water onto his face to help hide how puffy his eyes have gone and it isn’t until Bee reminds him that he has potions to deliver after lunch that Poe even thinks of going to sleep for a few hours. 

He wants to run up to the attic and start researching a way to cure the young man Maz had sent him. However Poe knows he’s too tired for that right now, is liable to make a mistake when he can’t afford one. So instead he just gathers his books, hands shaking as he picks up his notes and heads to bed.


	5. not a sunroom

The sound of something chirping outside wakes Finn and the feel of cool air wisping over his cheek finally draws his eyes open. With a small smile Finn lifts a hand up to poke at the empty space above him that’s colder than the rest of the room and he laughs when Bee travels down his arm to prod him out of bed.

Finn starts to roll over, but something sharp digs into his shoulder and makes him wince. Wonders what the hell is crawling out of the mattress this time-- 

Pushing himself up onto his elbows, dark eyes look down to see the small stone Poe had given him before heading to bed. However where the stone before had been a light purple, it now looks a little discoloured; almost ashy grey with a dark pink vein.

“Weird.” Finn frowns, rubbing his thumb over the flat side of the crystal, as if to check that he hasn’t broken it already. Letting out a jaw cracking yawn, Finn sets the crystal aside on the bedside table before prying himself out from the sheets; doing his best to flatten the wrinkles in the shirt he had fallen asleep in as he makes his way to the bathroom and then downstairs towards the kitchen. 

The scent of coffee hits Finn as he steps into the dining room, surprised to see Poe already at the counter, eyes closed and curled over his mug, looking half asleep with his hair in disarray.

“Poe?” The younger man steps up onto the opposite side of the counter, only raising an eyebrow when a side cupboard opens and a mug drifts down to him. Can’t help but ask when he notices the clock on the wall and how close it is to the afternoon. “Did you go to sleep at all?”

Poe lifts his head with a wry smile and pushes the carafe of coffee he was hoarding over to Finn. “I got a few hours,” he lies. Unable to bring himself to tell Finn how his imagination had run away with him, thinking of all the things the cursed man had told him over the night. “But I have deliveries to make soon, so I couldn’t sleep long anyways.”

“Deliveries?” Finn raises an eyebrow and lifts the coffee to his lips. Heat rushes over his tongue and he savours it all the while wincing at the bitterness.

“Potions ingredients, spells to some other customers.” The witch nods, slipping from his seat to root around in the fridge before passing Finn the bottle of cream. “You want the sugar too? I think there’s some in the cupboard-“

Said sugar comes sweeping out of the cupboard next to Finn’s head and Poe frowns at the cabinets. 

“I swear, my house really seems to like you.” Poe mutters. He feels a little like a hypocrite, because hello, he also really likes Finn and the man’s only been in his life for about a day and a half. 

Finn grins at him though, like it’s a mystery to him too and makes up his coffee in a way he’s always dreamed he could. Creamy and sweet but strong enough to keep him going. “You make spells for other witches?”

“Yup, some Elementals can’t get a hold of certain ingredients, a witch I know can’t brew potions to save her life, stuff like that.” Poe motions to the brown bag on the dining room table, and Finn goes over to peer into the top of it; asks, “Did you want to come with me?”

Dark eyes shoot away from what Finn highly suspects is a pile of ribbon wrapped bones to Poe. 

“You mean, like outside?” His voice shakes, anxiety flaring up into his chest and Finn swallows thickly at the idea of leaving Poe’s house. Just when he’d found a place where he can be as close to normal as possible, as safe as possible. Where he can sleep without a nightmare and drink real coffee and shower with hot water… Finn doesn’t really want to step foot outside where the house or Poe might not be able to remediate his curse. 

Poe must read the expression on his face because he just reaches out to pat Finn carefully on the shoulder. “It’s okay, you don’t have to come. You’re more than welcome to stay here if you’re still tired.” Finn nods in relief, taking the out Poe’s offering. “Besides, I think Bee would like the company.” 

The two men chuckle as the familiar wisp ghosts over them excitedly and Finn can’t help but ask. “Is it a far drive?”

“Drive?” Poe blinks, but understanding dawns and he shakes his head. “I’m a witch Finn, I don’t drive.” Said witch steps up next to the pantry, rapping his knuckles on the wood before pulling open the door. “I fly.”

Finn’s not sure what he’s expecting, but seeing the normal looking cupboard open up and turn into a swirling puddle of shining reds, oranges, violet, is not it. The glow of it is almost enough to blind him. “W-what is that?”

“Magic portal!” Brown eyes light up as Poe speaks. “I mean, it’s not like it’s a broomstick or anything, that’s so passé, but I made this one after I moved here! You just jump in, and use your magic to direct where you want to go. It’s so much faster and way more fun! This one time I did a few aileron rolls and almost got sick -” Poe pauses when he sees the blank face Finn is drawing and he uses his hand to show off the movet. Sees Finn’s face go a little ashen and Poe teases, “Sure you still don’t want to come?” 

Finn is sure, but he has to admit, he’s getting a little tempted. Doesn’t even want to wonder what affect he would have on an honest to gods magic portal. “I’m good thanks.”

Poe dips his head and shuts the pantry door. “Well, if you don’t want to come flying, you can relax in the other room.” He offers. “Best spot in the house to take a nap.”

“I think all I’ve done since I got here is sleep,” Finn chuckles into his coffee.

“You aren’t going to recover twenty some-odd years of sleep debt in one night Finn,” Poe reminds him, takes his own mug from the counter and holds his other hand out to the younger man. “Here, come on.”

Taking the proffered hand without hesitation, Finn lets Poe lead him through the kitchen and dining room and towards the door where the ivy stops overhead. It opens without a touch as Poe steps up to it and Finn is met with a wall of warm humidity that reminds him of sleeping outside in the dead of summer. The room beyond the door is walled in with glass, and while Finn can see the coloured leaves of Autumn beyond the glass, the entire room is lined with plants in full spring bloom. From hanging baskets along the metal framing of the ceiling, to tiny little pots set among the bookcases and the floor. There’s an entire corner dedicated to an overgrown aloe vera plant that makes Poe shrug when he sees Finn looking at it. 

“I didn’t grow it, it came with the place.” The witch laughs. “Most of the plants did honestly, but the house didn’t seem to mind when I brought my own in, so…” Poe trails off with another shrug and Finn can feel the pull in his own hand; realizes they haven’t let go of each other yet. 

“So, this is a… sunroom?” Finn hazards a guess on the term, tries to think back to some half overheard conversations from years past. He’d always appreciated the way old people could just talk at lengths to waitstaff about any and everything. Loved even more the way the waiters wouldn’t just walk away from them like they did to him.

“Ah,” Brown eyes go strangely wide. “No, just a porch. You don’t want to go into the Sunroom.”

Finn makes a mental note not to go into the sun-room, wherever it may be because he’s not one to jinx himself, but now he’s curious. “What's in the Sunroom?” 

Poe lifts an eyebrow at Finn. “The Sun.” Says it like it should be obvious. “What else do you keep in a Sunroom?” 

The younger man inclines his head in agreement; that makes sense, and who is he to dispute it. He hasn’t seen a proper kitchen in years, so he’s not to question- “I’m sorry, did you say the Sun?”

The laughter Poe gives in response makes something curl up deep in the pit of Finn’s stomach, warmer than any of the air around them. 

—

Poe makes sure he points out the overstuffed chaise lounge tucked away in the corner before he leaves. Flushes a bit in embarrassment before sweeping away a few glass jars he’s clearly left lying around on top of it. 

“It’s the best napping spot in the house though,” he muses. “There’s pillows in the living room, once you unpack your stuff, and feel free to put it anywhere by the way, really I have so much stuff taking up space it’s awful, just move it out of your way, Sorry-” Poe rambles, shoving the jars he’d picked up onto a nearby shelf and points to the books. “Uh, I know you have a hard time with word books, but there’s some star scapes in there I think, and maybe even-”

As if listening to them, a book comes sailing through the room from elsewhere in the house and hovers in front of Finn who takes it from mid-air.

“Looks like Bee’s got you covered, thanks buddy.” Poe laughs and somewhere in the house, something makes a dull ringing sound that makes the witch wince. “That’s my cue to mosey, but I’ll be back before nightfall. So just relax and make yourself at home.”

Finn, who has never had a home for reference, merely nods and clutches the book with the hand that isn’t holding his coffee mug. He follows Poe back towards the kitchen and watches him collect the bag with a wink. 

“Be just like me to forget my stuff.” Poe mutters, moving to re-open the pantry. 

“Be safe.” Finn says, unsure if those are the right words to use to say goodbye to someone. Just knows he wants to say something. But they must be right because the dark haired man grins widely at him, waving merrily before stepping into the portal and disappearing.

The doors slam shut behind the witch and Finn can’t help but to re-open them a crack; amazed all over again when they show nothing but shelf after shelf of dry and canned goods. The witch thing is starting to really sink in now and Finn can’t help thinking how cool it is.

“Guess it’s just you and me now huh Bee?”

A cool wisp of air sweeps through the kitchen, and Finn looks down at the book the ghost had brought to him. Wonders what it’d be like to be able to read the title on the front that keeps slipping away from him. 

—

Finn takes Poe’s advice, goes back to his room and unpacks the small bag that carries his meager belongings. He tucks the two or three shirts and jeans next to the nicer looking clothes that are in the dresser the house has clearly made up for him. 

“Are you the one who gave me these clothes?” He asks the house awkwardly, grinning when he feels the house rumble in reply. Can feel it keep going when he pats the floor with a soft hand. “Thank you.”

It’s Bee though, that passes him the bottle of shampoo in the shower, the same vanilla scent as last time and Finn notes the way the ghost shoves a different container of conditioner into his hands when he’s done. 

By the time he makes it back downstairs, there’s a plate of weird looking noodles on the counter, still steaming and Finn approaches them cautiously. His stomach rumbles, apparently already hungry even after eating the day before, but the house nudges his foot, almost dropping Finn into the chair and Bee’s cool touch lifts the fork into his hand.

Finn freezes, but when the chair doesn’t collapse under him, nor the fork or the plate of noodles drop to the floor, he carefully starts to relax. Right, he has to remind himself, Poe said that stuff would happen less here.

Bee nudges Finn this time and the ghost sits by his shoulder as he slowly eats his way through most of the plate. His stomach hurts before the noodles are finished, unaccustomed to so much food in such a short period of time, and Finn stares at them morosely until Bee lifts the plate and moves it towards the fridge for later.

—

Finn doesn’t remember falling asleep out on the porch. Knows he carefully sat down on the lounge chair and opened up the book Bee had brought down to him. The warmth had been beyond inviting, the scent of the flowers soothing and Finn figures he must have dozed off somewhere around the twentieth map of the stars.

He’s roused, but doesn’t wake up fully when he feels someone's weight dip the cushions down; and while a part of his mind immediately goes on alert, telling Finn to get up, _to move now before_ , another part of him registers that the deft fingers brushing through his hair, are already becoming familiar. 

They are safety and warmth and kindness. 

It’s Poe. Poe that slides the book from his limp grasp and presses the rough edge of stone into his palm. 

“Shh… go back to sleep Finn, You’re safe here.”

So Finn does.

And when he wakes again, his chest goes a little tight at the sight that greets him.

Poe is sitting on the floor, head pillowed on his arms that are cushioned on the chaise just next to Finn’s arm where he’s curled up on his side to face the witch. Poe is as close to him as he can get while still being careful not to touch him and it sends a jolt through Finn at the man's consideration. 

Finn can’t help but be endeared by the action because he can tell by now that Poe is a man who touches things: people, items, plants. But the moment Finn said it was a lot, Poe backed away, he asked and kept asking, and it means so much to the younger man, even if he finds that Poe’s touch is more comforting than overwhelming. 

He brushes an errant curl away from Poe’s forehead and nudges the man's stubbled cheek with his finger to wake him. “Hey, come on now, you shouldn’t sleep on the floor Poe.” 

—

Poe makes dinner that night, Finn sitting at the counter and watching him bounce between the stove, the fridge and the cutting board, chatting aimlessly about his deliveries and Finn is only remotely listening, too focused on the delicious smells emanating from the pot.

“Han says Hello by the way,” Poe states and it’s enough to draw Finn away from the food.

“He remembered me?” Finn asks, a little surprised.

The smile on the witches face seems to trip a little, edges falling but Poe rallies quickly and passes Finn a piece of cut up carrot to try. “Despite his rather gruff exterior, Han gets attached pretty easily. He and Maz both asked after you.” He tells him. “Oh, and Chewie wanted you to know that he apparently found all the missing pieces of the door you broke?”

Dark eyes blink in confusion. “Chewie?”

“The tall guy,” Poe says, holding his hand with the knife in it up over his head. “I think he’s rocking a mohawk this month. He lost a bet to Maz and had to cut his dreadlocks off, so now he’s almost unrecognizable.” 

Finn grins, trying to picture the tall, dark and silent man with the mohawk he had met with longer hair. Mutters quietly with the realization. “I- I owe them so much… Maz… And Chewie too… Han and you.” He glances up at Poe, knuckles white where he’s clutching his hands together. “I don’t know how I can ever repay-“

“Now you stop that talk right now.” Poe states firmly, brandishing the knife in his hand towards the younger man who flinches bodily away from him. “Oh, shit-sorry!” 

The witch sets the knife down and rounds the counter to pick Finn’s hands up, only a quick pause to make sure the touch wouldn’t be unwelcome after his last move. “Finn, buddy, trust me. None of us are looking at you to repay us, okay?”

Finn frowns, holds a little tighter to Poe’s hands. “But that’s not-” He wants to say that isn’t how the world works; but Finn is starting to realize that maybe the world in general works a whole lot different than what he’s used too. 

Or at least, Poe’s world does. 

“Don’t even think about arguing buddy.” Poe chuckles. “We’re— I’m doing this to help you. Not for payment or any other reason, but because you need help Finn. And that’s what people like us do. That’s what magic is for. To help people.” 

“It… just doesn’t make sense. There must be some way I can pay you back,” Finn insists. “You’ve already given me more than I could ever imagine.” 

The sadness Finn saw last night creeps back into Poe’s eyes, and while it’s not exactly pity, it’s close; but Finn’s been in far worse scenarios than being the focus of such an emotion that it’s easy to squash down the part of him that grates upon seeing the look on Poe’s face. 

A tug on his hands draws Finn’s attention back up to those warm brown eyes and Poe’s smile is a little softer this time. 

“It’s not like that.” The witch states firmly. “My mom… she used to say ‘You do good things, and good things will come back to you’. We’re doing this to pass on the good that we’ve experienced. Good we want you to experience.” 

Especially to Finn who has experienced so little of it in his lifetime.

“When you’re comfortable going outside, or after I remove your curse, we can go visit them.” Poe offers then and Finn feels another rush of gratitude towards him as he nods. “They’ll just be happy to see you.”

—

Dinner passes quietly, Finn savouring every bite and only once they’re finished does Poe wave him towards the living room. 

“If you’re not too tired, I’d like to try some basic curse removals I know.” Poe states pushing his couch out of the way and dragging a stool into the centre of the room. Motions for Finn to sit as he goes around the room collecting various items. 

For the next thirty minutes Finn finds himself the subject of a rather varying array of spells. He doesn’t know the words Poe mutters, wrinkles his nose when the other man lights something on fire and draws a symbol in the air with the smoke. Finn almost slips off his stool entirely when a burst of light so bright makes him reel back and it’s only Poe darting forward quickly that saves him from hitting the floor.

“So that didn’t work.” Poe huffs, fingers pressed to his lips in thought and brows furrowed in annoyance. “This is going to be about as hard as I thought it was gonna be.”

Finn merely shrugs back at him. “Sorry?” 

Only Poe isn’t really listening to him, eyes seemingly boring into Finn’s chest unblinkingly. 

“Stand up for me for a second?” The witch asks, and when Finn climbs to his feet, moves to stand directly in front of him. “Here, can you put your hands on my shoulders, and I’m going to hold your waist alright?”

Finn agrees easily, fabric warm beneath his palms and delights in the little twitch that goes through him when Poe’s fingers dig into the sensitive flesh on his sides. “What does this spell do?”

“Loops. Now shush please,” Poe whispers, eyes sliding closed as quiet falls around them. 

Nothing in the room seems to move, even Bee and the house haven’t made their presences known since Poe started. Then, out of nowhere, a shockwave bursts through the living room with Finn as the epicenter. Finn stays standing but Poe yelps as he’s thrown back along with chairs and plants that all topple to the ground with the burst of energy. 

Poe curses when his back collides with a bookcase before he slumps to the floor, dazed and winded. 

“POE!” Finn shouts, rushing to the man's side, kneeling down next to him, his hands shooting out, wanting to touch Poe and make sure he’s okay, but they only hover awkwardly over the witches back, fear coursing through him. What if he touches him and makes it happen again. “Poe?”

“Oww… I’mokay.” the older man groans, pain shooting through his ribs as he flips awkwardly over onto his back. “S`all good.” Poe puts a hand on Finn’s knee, the closest part of him that doesn’t involve lifting his own limbs and pats it in an attempt at comfort.

“Is anything broken?” The younger man asks worriedly, slowly letting his hands fall to cover where Poe’s fingers are pressing against his knee. “Do you need a hospital?”

The smile Poe manages to give Finn then is both pained and amused. “I”m good F-Finn, really.” He mutters. “Just winded… more my pride and dignity hurt than anything…didn’t expect that kind of backlash.” 

Finn bites his lip, stares out across the mess of the living room. “D-did I do that?”

“Not sure… don’t think so.” Poe’s head rolls back and forth on the floor before he shifts enough to get his head propped up on the bend of Finn’s knee. Hells but that feels a lot better. “Do you mind… just need to breathe through this… Ow.”

Dark calloused fingers trace the faint pain lines on the witches face and Finn nods, shifts to make the bend of Poe’s neck not as severe. “Take your time,” 

Poe grins up at him, sinks into the firm muscle and closes his eyes as his magic knits his ribs back together.


	6. a dimensional gift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beware: There's feelings in this!

The following week is unlike anything Finn would've ever dreamed. A ghost's cool touch is the first thing he wakes up to, not insects or snakes crawling over him, looking for a place to nest. The buzz of the house has turned to warm whispers after the third day, a lilting accent like sifting sand. He's heard it somewhere before he thinks, a far shore he stumbled to once upon a time.

Poe is the most surprising of all though and Finn's terrified the first time he turns and finds Poe watching him. Standing stock still, fingers pressed to his full lips, brown eyes drawn in concentration--in wonder, even. The first time it had happened, Finn had ended up a jittery mess for the rest of the day, thinking he had done something wrong. Bee had even taken to warning him when the witch was watching in an attempt to save Finn the fright. Poe goes sheepishly apologetic every time Finn jumps at his presence, although even that eventually comes to an end as Finn slowly gets used to finding the witch within an arm's reach of him. It’s nice after a while, having someone that close that isn’t afraid of him. 

Finn feels like he should be shocked by how quickly he gets used to Poe's presence. He just...isn't. The other man is so easy to be around. He always has an answer to any question Finn asks, no matter what it is or how dumb it sounds. Best of all, he's completely fearless in the face of Finn and his curse. Poe is always showing him new things with a willingness, an eagerness that shocks him day to day. But all that shock is nothing compared to the strange swooping sensation he gets in his stomach when he asks about witchcraft and Poe pins him with a dazzling smile.

Those times end up being Finn’s favourite part of the day.

\--

Sunday rolls around with cold wind and a layer of frost descending on the glass wall of the porch. The days get shorter and Finn finds himself wandering the hall of the house without purpose. He’s never been in one place for so long, used to being on the move to try and keep ahead of his own trail of destruction. With little else to do Finn asks Bee to teach him how to do the dishes.

The house seems to go into a pout when it isn’t consulted and Finn soon finds himself stopping a mid-air butterknife battle between two incorpial combatants before it gets out of hand. 

To make the house feel better, Finn asks it to show him it’s favourite part of the house. Which is how Finn finds himself learning how to water the plants out on the porch with a firm, overbearing whisper ringing in his ear. The house also brings him a freshly made cup of hot chocolate from the kettle, which is quickly becoming Finn’s favourite appliance, which takes the bite out of it’s words. He listens dutifully as it goes on about the different kinds of tea while he works, but the young man just lifts his mug to his lip, slurping loudly in reply and the house huffs at him good naturedly. 

Later, Bee leads Finn to the small room off the kitchen, and shows him the laundry machine. The ghost drops a towel straight out of the dryer onto his head and Finn just stands there, face buried in the soft, warm fabric until Bee finally pulls him away towards the living room.  
Which is how Poe finds him afterwards; the witch coming to a sudden stop in the doorway of his living room, lowering the book he had his nose buried in so he can stare at Finn who is rather intently following the instructions of the floating shirt next to him. 

“Uh… you know you don’t **have** to do the laundry right?” Poe says, blinking in confusion at the sight before him.

The younger man shrugs, tucking in the arms of the sweater Poe had worn the previous day like Bee is showing him. “I don’t mind,” Finn smiles, “it’s nice.”

“Oh, well, okay then,” Brown eyes sweep over Finn and Bee once more before Poe just shrugs and keeps going into the kitchen. A moment later the witch is coming back into the living room to lean over the back of the couch to look at Finn critically. “That wasn’t what I came in here for.”

Finn laughs and copies Bees movements to fold a towel. “Get distracted?” He’s slowly figuring out how Poe works. 

“You said laundry was ‘nice’ Finn,” Poe pouts. “It's not my fault I was completely thrown!”

“So what did you want then?” He uses his freshly folded towel to bop Poe in the nose, and the newly familiar warmth blossoms in his chest at the scandalized face the witch gives him.

“You-!” Poe sputters, taking the towel from Finn to return the gesture, only Finn remains unfazed and just gives him an imploring look that makes Poe hand him back the towel. “I was wondering if you wanted to collect the Moonwater with me later? It’s the Hunters Moon tonight and if the two of us do it it won’t take long at all.”

“Moonwater?” Finn repeats curiously, thinks back. “That’s what you made the vials for last week isn’t it?”

“Yup!” Poe looks impressed and Finn tries not to let it fluster him. He’s also still getting used to the whirlwind of energy that Poe seems to be, especially Poe on a mission and it just so happens that his current mission happens to be Finn himself and the younger man isn’t quite sure how to deal with it most days. 

“It should really only take about an hour,” the witch continues. “We just have to wait til midnight, which is kind of a pain, but if you think you can stay up… I’d ah, like the company.”

Finn sees the red start to crawl up the back of Poe’s neck, wondering if the man has gotten warm all of a sudden. He can’t help but ask however; “I’ll be outside the house though, you’re not afraid I’ll ruin it?”

“Ruin it?” Brown eyes narrow then widen considerably as a sinking realization hits him. “T-the house magic extends to the yard outside… I-I told you that.. Right?” 

A shake of his head and Poe is vaulting over the back of the couch and into Bee’s pile of freshly folded laundry to scoop Finn's hand up into his own. 

“Jesus Finn, I’m so sorry! Gods, I’m a kriffing idiot!” Poe bites out. “I didn’t- I can’t believe I forgot to tell you! You’re not trapped in the house buddy!”

Finn is a bit surprised by the anger in Poe’s voice, but for the first time, Finn thinks he can tell the anger is directed not at him, but rather at Poe himself. The confusion is all him though. “I like being in the house?”

“Yeah but-” 

“Poe.” The younger man cuts off Poe’s retort with a squeeze of his fingers. “I’ve spent a lot of time outdoors Poe, more than I wanted too most weeks. So being in the house, this house in particular and not having to run from place to place... it’s a nice change.” 

Finn doesn’t like seeing the way Poe can’t hide the wince at his words, but he waits quietly as the witch opens and closes his mouth a few times, knowing what it’s like to want to find the right words to lessen the fallout of what he wants to say next.

“Okay,” Poe finally says. “But you **can** go outside okay? Nothing will happen to you out there, least of all while I’m there with you. No massive rainstorms, none that aren’t forecasted anyways and no asteroids are going to fall out of the sky-“

Dark eyes go wide and Finn sits up in sudden alarm. “Was that a possibility?!”

Poe laughs and it breaks the seriousness that had settled over the room. “It’s only happened once on record, a guy with a chaos curse a couple of centuries ago.” 

They trade pursed grins, trying not to laugh at the idea and that’s when the chill growing behind Poe finally registers. A curl slips into slowly widening brown eyes and Finn has to smother his laughter behind his hand when Poe finally turns to the very annoyed hovering presence behind him.

“Bee?” Poe glances over at the ghost, then down to the pile of laundry he’s currently sitting on. The pile of laundry he had promptly knocked over when he had vaulted over the back of the couch. “Opps.” 

Finn grins, “I’d run if I were you.”

Poe darts for the stairs, Finn's laughter following him as easily as Bee’s cold wisp surges after the witch.

—

Midnight finds Finn bundling up in the puffy green jacket Han had given him, and hadn’t Finn been unable to stop the sharp inhale at still seeing it in one piece on the coat rack, and standing just inside the back door.

He’s waiting for Poe who is rummaging around the cupboards as the kettle whistles away next to him. Finn’s not sure what he’s looking for but he takes a moment to glance out over the back yard. It looks nothing like he ever expected a backyard that's sandwiched between other houses in the middle of a small town to look like. 

Trees line one side in what looks like a forest, tall towering things half bare with coloured leaves that lay scattered over the grass and a stone walkway that leads from the door out and around the vast yard. There’s no fence that Finn can see, no houses either, and the further along he looks the more fuzzy his vision gets. 

“It’s the edge of the dimension out that far.” Poe states coming up on his side and Finn turns to glance at him.

“I’m sorry, dimension?”

“Yup.” Poe hands him a travel mug and the now familiar scent of hot chocolate wafts out of it. “The magical level in this universe that the house sits in. It makes the backyard not visible unless you’re actually in the house, or in one of the corresponding alternate universes.”

Finn clutches the mug in his hand a little closer as he tries to parse out Poe’s words. “But it’s still part of the house...right?”

The witch smiles and links his arm through Finns and steps out onto the stone pathway, waiting a step further for Finn to follow in his own time. Reassures, “It’s still part of the house, and I'm still here even if it wasn’t. So, no chaos curse out here buddy.”

As carefully as he can, Finn steps outside after Poe. Leaves crunch under his boots and the air is crisp, but the ensuing smile that makes lines crinkle around Poe's eyes, makes the small step feel a lot less frightening. Together they head towards the back, where a large willow tree seemed to be hiding behind a large outcropping of rocks that got more pronounced the closer and closer they got to them. 

“A lake?” Finn asks, raising an eyebrow at the edge of the water that is held back by a wall of round stones. 

Poe glances over from where he’s starting to pull out the vials from his bag, to nod. “Yeah, poke the water if you want, Ackbar will say hello if he’s around.” 

Unsure what an ‘Ackbar’ is, Finn sets his travel mug down and carefully kneels down next to the rocks. He waits a moment, ready for them to give way, only, sooner than he would have a week or two ago, he finds himself leaning forward to drag fingertips across the surface of the water. 

The ripples cast out and out, but once they hit the rock wall, they don’t disappear and Finn watches in amazement as they continue out into the grass, blowing leaves away as they go. Nothing seems to happen for a moment, the ripples fading into the darkness, Finn watching them go with sharp eyes. 

“Guess he must be busy.” Poe mutters with a shrug, turning back to where he’s set up the vials on a nearby flat rock. “Come on, you can come help me set this up”

Just about to get to his feet, Finn pauses when he sees it. “Um Poe, the waters moving.”

The witch looks up at the sky, watches the clouds move slowly and Poe figures he has enough time to say hello before they have to get to work. Ugh, he really should have napped like Finn did earlier, he’s too old for this many all nighters. 

Finn is slowly backing away from the lake when Poe steps up next to him and the witch can’t help but ask in amusement. “You’ve never seen a Mon Cala before have you?”

“You mean those deep fried rings that people order at restaurants that smell really good?” The young man asks, suddenly a lot more interested at the prospect of food. 

Poe slaps a hand over his mouth to cover his snort, but it’s a deeper, watery voice that answers Finn.

“Well in all my years…”

Dark eyes snap down to the surface of the lake and Finn's jaw drops when he sees the face now staring back at him, with it’s red, oblong head and black eyes on either side of its face. Finn even thinks he sees weird tentacles just below the surface of the water but is too busy clutching onto Poe’s arm to mention it. 

Poe figures he probably should have mentioned their appearance before getting Finn to knock on the guys front door. “Hey Gial.” he greets, tugging Finn down with him as he squats down next to the stone wall. “How’s things?”

“Honestly Dameron, do you ever sleep, my boy? Collecting Moonwater on a night like tonight?” The creature asks with a huff but Poe merely shrugs in reply, and that’s when black beady eyes land on the man attached to his old friend. “And who do you have there with you?”

“Ah, Ackbar, this is Finn.” Poe introduces and Finn raises a hand in greeting, trying not to be rude but unable to not keep staring. “Finn, Admiral Gial Ackbar, he’s a Mon Cala, a water Elemental.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Finn finally manages.

“Ahh, the young man Maz mentioned?”

Poe nods with a smile. “One in the same.” 

Ackbars face comes closer to the edge of the lake and Finn wonders if he’s going to run aground that close, only the depth of the water seems to be the same no matter where one in the water is. “Your magic must be having a good time with the lad, I can barely see the curse around him at all.”

Finn glances at Poe curiously. “Your magic?”

The witch nods again and pokes Finn in the shoulder. “Remember when i said I have a bit more immunity to other chaotic things? It’s because my own chaos magic eats it.” Poe laughs at Finn's face. “The same goes for how my magic acts around your curse.”

“So you’ve been eating my…” The younger man pauses, searching for the word Poe used to describe how he affected others. “My side effects?”

Okay, when Finn puts it like that, it sounds a little strange. But it’s not like that’s the first thing Poe would pick of Finns to snack on… oh yeah, Poe thinks, he needs sleep. “It’s not a perfect metaphor.”

The three laugh in unison until the reflection of the moonlight on the lake water catches Finn’s eye. “Hey, it’s almost midnight.” he points out.

“Then you two have some work to be doing,” Ackbar chuckles. “Bring me a present next time you visit Dameron.” 

“Hey, I brought Finn!”

“A present?” Finn raises an eyebrow. Then suddenly he’s letting go of Poe’s arm he didn’t know he was still holding onto, to turn and grab his travel mug he had set down. He holds up his hot chocolate. “Can we give him this? Would it be okay?”

The corner of Poe’s lip turns up. “It’s your drink Finn, you can do whatever you like with it.”

Finn’s careful as he once more leans over the edge of the stones and holds the travel mug out over the water. “Here, Poe’s house has the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had.” Finn hears Poe snicker behind him. It’s a joke Finn’s been making all week, every time he tries a new food or drink and it still never fails to make Poe chuckle. 

Watching a half man half calamari attempt to drink out of a travel mug is not a sight Poe or Finn think they will forget any time soon.

“Ah, now there’s a taste I haven’t had in a very long time.” Ackbar sighs, sinking back into the water like Finn has a tendency to do in the bathtub now. “In return, take this.” 

The two men trade curious looks as the Mon Cala lifts a red, stubby fingered hand out of the water, only to point at the vials Poe had created. A steady stream of water follows Ackbars hand and Poe gapes as it carefully fills each of the glass to the brim before retreating back to the lake. 

“Holy crap!” the witch exclaims, turning wide eyes to the water. “A-are you sure?”

“A return gift for your young man.” muses Ackbar, who nods at Finn. “It was a pleasure meeting you Finn, I wish you the best in the future.”

With that the Mon Cala retreats and the water goes still again, just in time for midnight.

“He gave you water?” Finn asks, Poe passing him lids for the vials that he helps put on. A cool gust of wind blows across the yard and it catches the wayward curl Finn always watches Poe fight with after he wakes up. Can’t help but watch even now in the dark as the witch tries to get it to lay flat. 

“No, he gave **you** water Finn.” Poe corrects. “We were going to fill these up with regular lake water, you need something to capture the light afterall, and water is pretty neutral. But Ackbar just gave you water from the deepest part of the ocean; the part that holds memory. That’s one hell of a thank you gift buddy.”

Dark eyes furrow, and before them the vials of water seem to start glowing. Finn can’t help but kneel down to watch them. “But why are you saying he gave it to me?”

“Because you gave him your drink.”

“Believe it or not,” Finn muses propping his chin up on his palm and resting his elbow on his knee. “You saying stuff like that doesn’t mean I understand it any more than I did two minutes ago.”

Poe’s laughter rings out around the trees and he moves to kneel down next to the younger man. “It’s the law of exchange, I'll read it to you tomorrow.” he promises as Finn leans his shoulder against his and together they watch the vials of water start to glow with the moonlight it’s capturing. “So, you’ve endeared Ackbar to you for life, wrapped my house and Bee around your little finger, even Maz and Han! Who’s next?” 

Doesn’t say that he’d do pretty much anything Finn asked of him either. No. He definitely can’t say that.

Finn ducks his head into the neck of his jacket in embarrassment. “I do not, they’re just nice people.” he mutters. 

“No, no, even Chewie!” Poe cackles, chest light with admiration and yet tight with things he can’t bring himself to look at too closely. Things like how beautiful Finn looks beneath the full moon, it’s light sweeping over the man's cheek in an elegant curve. Things like how kind the man is, with so few possessions to his name, yet still willing to give away something he likes to a stranger. 

Poe holds onto the feeling swelling in his chest the rest of the time they’re outside, and it’s not just the reaction of Finn’s chaos curse that’s making Poe’s pulse beat crazily. 

He thinks it’s just Finn himself. 

He also thinks his heart might be in trouble.


	7. the girl in the walls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look! Cuddles! And the secret of the house is revealed!

The sight of Poe half asleep at the dining room table is becoming a rather concerning sight to Finn in the mornings. More often than not he bids Poe goodnight early in the evening only to wake and find the witch already up, bent over a book or a cauldron in the kitchen with dark circles under his eyes. One time he even found Poe bouncing curse removal ideas off of a plant in the living room at 2 am.

Today when Finn makes his way downstairs, it’s to see Poe struggling to keep his head upright at the kitchen counter. Worry prods at him and Finn decides then and there that this has gone on long enough.

“Okay, you need to stop this.” 

Brown eyes shoot up from the page they had been staring at, distant gaze sharpening as Poe turns to Finn with a confused look. “Wha? Finn- What time issit?”

Finn crosses his arms over his chest, the house whispering in his ear that yes, Poe has been awake all night again, and Bee wisps over to him, curling around Finn's shoulders and nudging him towards it’s wayward witch. “Poe, you need sleep.” 

“No, I’m fine, look I found new text on a specific type of ‘Bad Luck’ curses-” Poe’s words are cut off when a firm hand loops under his shoulder and pulls him up off the stool. His back immediately cracks in protest at the sudden movement and the witch glances up to the disapproving look Finn is giving him. Tries sheepishly; “That didn’t hurt?”

“It’s been every day this week Poe,” Finn sighs, a little bit more careful as he steers the older man out of the kitchen. The floor is cold in the living room as they make their way towards the couch, and Finn kneels down in front of Poe when he deposits him onto the cushions. “I’m serious, is… this is my curse you’re working so hard on isn’t it?” 

Poe shrugs, but nods, throat dry and unable to meet those dark piercing eyes looking at him so imploringly. Finn says his name in such a way that makes Poe suddenly feel like he can’t hide anything from him. “I’m close Finn, so close. I just need a little bit more time. Please I know I can find the cure for you-”

“Poe!” The younger man snaps, perhaps a bit more harshly then he intended but it’s enough to get the witches attention and keep it. “Poe, stop, it’s okay. You need to rest, you’re pushing yourself too hard over this.”

Tired brown eyes catch Finns and Poe almost falls off the couch in an attempt to get a grip on Finn’s shoulders to reassure him. To make him understand how important it is to Poe that Finn’s curse gets removed. Only it’s warm broad hands that reach out to cup his own chin that has Poe dropping his hands and sinking into the touch like it’s the best thing he’s ever felt. 

“I can find it Finn, I know I can.” Poe whispers.

“I know you can too, Poe, but wearing yourself out like this isn’t good. And believe me, I’ve missed enough sleep in my life to know when someone is about to collapse from exhaustion.” Finn mutters, shifting the witch until he’s finally laying down on the couch and brushing his hand through the curls that stand on end. Poe’s hair is the very definition of a person who has been awake and running his hands through his hair all night. “Now come on, lay down here for a little bit and then you’re going to bed early tonight. No excuses!” 

Finn adds the last bit, voice stern when he sees Poe go to argue, but the younger man has his own stubborn streak and he’s not going to sit by and watch the one person who has been kind to him, has sworn to help him, work himself to the bone over someone like him. 

Almost as soon as Poe is laying down his eyes begin to droop. “Buti’mclose…” Poe manages to mutter.

“You can barely keep your eyes open.”

“Imfine…”

A heavy sigh is Finn’s only reply as he drags the blanket off the back of the couch to cover Poe. It’s only when he goes to stand that Finn feels a tug on his shirt and Poe startles back awake beside him. 

“NoImmup.” Poe words are half slurred as he tries to shove the blanket off and sit up, struggling against the mess of his own limbs and Finn’s hands that try to keep him laying down. 

The house whispers into Finn’s ear, almost gleefully and Finn would raise an eyebrow back at it, but he’s too busy trying to keep Poe horizontal to think of a proper rebuttal. Instead all he can do is follow the house's recommendation, nudging Poe further into the back of the couch and sliding in along the witches front. 

Poe freezes in place at the move, but his grip doesn’t falter on Finn’s shirt and he doesn’t say anything. Just watches and waits as Finn makes himself comfortable, trying to shift himself so that Poe has enough room to not be crushed between the cushion and his arms. 

“This okay?” Finn asks, voice soft and eyes worried as Bee drags the blanket back over the two of them. The ghost all but tucking them in. It’s the closest Finn’s ever been to another person, the closest he’s ever come to sharing a bed with anyone.

“Mhmmgood,” Poe’s eyes are already slipping closed and he yawns so heavily his jaw cracks. His grip loosens on the shirt between his fingers and the witch can’t help the way he sinks into the heat before him. He feels it when Finn’s arms slides hesitantly around him, pulling him in close and Poe can do nothing more than bask in the touch. Let sleep start to claim him but wonders if he’s not already dreaming, the simple joy of having Finn so close. “S`good…talk?”

Dark eyes shine in the early morning light filtering in through the front bay window. Each of the tiny pink flower petals seem to brighten with the cast of light, yet Finn turns his shoulder to block the rays from hitting Poe’s face. “Talk? You want me to talk you to sleep?” He chuckles. This man is unbelievable. 

Only Poe is nodding sleepily, limbs too uncoordinated to pull the younger man closer like he wants too. He’s so tired, eyes sore from staring at the yellowed pages of book after book, no closer to finding a way to remove Finn’s curse than he had been last week. It irks him, burns at his core that it’s taking him so long. He’s the best Chaos mage in centuries, with the hopes of the man he’s come to want to help more than anyone… and Poe can’t find the answer no matter how hard he seems to look. 

“I was thinking that I’m glad you haven’t come up with any more cures like you did last week.” Finn says quietly in amusement; feels Poe huff a sleepy laugh into the crook of his neck. The witch's breath is warm and it sends a shiver down Finn’s back at the feel of it. “Had me running for the sink, remember?”

“`sbadspell…” the witch admits, brown eyes cracking open just enough to look up at Finn in apology before sliding closed again. “S’rry.”

Finn shakes his head, lifts the blanket a bit further up under Poe’s chin. He’s finding he rather likes the warmth of a person next to him. “Well, I’m still not sure if it was the actual potion or the fact you had me drink out of a bone.” He grimaces, feels Bee’s amusement above them but keeps talking as he watches Poe sink further into the sleep he’s been fighting. “Thought you were a little crazy, I’m not gonna lie. Bones, man, even your face looked really disgusted. But you told me ‘all bones have life in them, that’s what's important, not the animal they come from, but the power of that life’. Sounded like one of those things you get, you know— a fortune cookie.”

There’s a tell-tale snore from the man in his arms, and Finn laughs silently, moves to withdraw from the couch only to find his legs tangled up with Poe’s. Finds the witch's grip he thought had gone lax is intact still tangled up in his shirt. Well, Finn thinks, guess he’ll be skipping coffee this morning.

Beneath the couch, Finn can hear the low tinkling laugh of the house, whisper kind words in his ears and quietly Finn repeats it. Keeps talking to Poe even though he’s already asleep and tells the witch of a story from years ago, in a dimension far, far away…

\- 

Poe wakes, sleep warm and comfortable; hungry but not enough to make him want to crawl out of the warm cocoon he doesn’t remember falling asleep in. The pillow under his head is far softer than the one on his bed and Poe can’t help but wonder if it’s the house giving Finn more stuff. He likes that. Likes that someone other than himself has seen the good in Finn and wants to shower him with presents…

The scent of coffee nudges him further out of sleep and it’s then that the familiar rumble of the younger man's voice sounds quietly above him. 

“Shh, you two, you’ll wake Poe… No Bee put down the azalea…” Finn hisses, “Rey, you put that-where did you even find a sword?”

Oh, Poe attempts to curl back up into a ball on the couch, that’s the sword from the downstairs bathroom he had been looking for. His pillow shifts as he hears Finn snap a little louder at the ghost and… who the hell is Rey?

Brown eyes blink open suddenly, trying to clear the sleep from his head and Poe can only groan in the back of his throat when he immediately realizes two things: the first is the fact that his pillow is not in fact a pillow. It’s a leg. The second is that that leg is attached to Finn. 

Finn who is pointing the book of star scapes in his hand at the floating sword and flower pot in the middle of his living room. His movements must jar Finn because the younger man looks down at him with a wide kind smile, saying; “Hey, you’re awake.”

Heat floods Poe’s cheeks and the witch pushes himself to sitting. “I- Uh, what?” He attempts to untangle his arms from the blankets he’s wrapped up in but it’s not until Finn laughs and reaches out to help him that Poe can finally sit up unhindered. Finn’s sitting in the corner of the couch, legs propped up on the coffee table and looking completely nonplussed that Poe was just using him as a pillow. “Um, sorry, I—”

“Do you feel better?” Finn asks.

Poe pauses, reaches up to run a hand through his hair and actually takes stock of himself for a quick moment. The ache in his back and head are gone, his eyes don’t feel like he’s been rubbing them with sandpaper and Poe blinks back at Finn with a wry smile. “Uh, yeah actually, I do.” He muses. “Thanks, sorry I fell asleep on you.”

Finn just grins however and takes the proffered cup of steaming hot coffee that Bee floats before him and passes it to Poe. “I don’t mind, it was nice.” The younger man admits, turning to face the witch, as easy as anything, and Poe hides the flush to his cheeks behind the cup of black coffee.

“Was I asleep long?” Poe can’t help but ask. The sky outside the window has darkened, but he can’t tell if it’s from an oncoming storm or if it’s actually that late in the evening. At this rate Poe doubts he’ll ever have a normal sleep schedule again. 

“A few hours,” Finn nods. “I came downstairs to find you still trying to read the same book you started last night.” His dark gaze is reproachful and Finn reaches out to poke Poe with the book in his hands. 

Poe scrubs a hand across his face sheepishly. “Yeah… I really thought I was close with this one.” The witch's words trail off around a yawn that Poe does his best to smother. “Sorry buddy, I know I said-” 

“Rey said that this is the third time this week you’ve stayed up almost all night.” Finn cuts him off sternly. Guilt gnaws at him, and he hates that he’s the cause of Poe’s exhaustion. “I know I said I wanted to be cured, but not at your expense Poe. I’ve hurt enough people with this curse, I don’t want you to be one of them too.”

Shame heats Poe’s cheeks and sleep mused curls fall into his eyes when he glances back down into his mug of coffee. He hadn’t even thought about how his actions might make Finn feel in the grand scheme of things. “Sorry buddy.” Poe apologizes; offers back. “I promise, no more all nighters.”

The smile Finn sends him then feels like a burst of healing magic straight through his ribs; bright heat, sharp and thin right to the very core of him. Makes something in his own chest flip over and Poe does his best to stamp it down. Takes a few sips of his coffee as Finn pats his knee in agreement. 

It’s only the sight of the sword heading towards the hallway that breaks the comfortable silence. 

The two men exchange looks, Poe’s a lot more surprised than Finn’s chagrined grimace. Poe turns even further to see Bee putting the small azalea back on it’s shelf and his brows furrow as Finn’s words come back to him. 

“Finn?”

“Yeah?”

“Who’s Rey?”

Finn raises an eyebrow at the witch. “What do you mean?” He asks.

“I just…” Poe points after the sword with a blanket covered hand and looks at the younger man in confusion. “You said that _‘Rey said’_ … and you told them to put the sword down…” 

“She’s the house?” Finn raises an eyebrow, wondering if maybe he shouldn’t get Bee to check that Poe isn’t sick. 

The witch's jaw drops. “M-my house has a name-- wait.... She?”

Finn feels a little thrown, he can hear the house laughing in his ear, as clear as he can hear the confusion in Poe’s. “Ok, Poe, you’re kind of freaking me out here. Can you not hear her anymore?”

“Finn,” Poe pauses, looking at the younger man in shock. “Are you legitimately talking to my house right now?” Finn nods. “Actual words? Not just buzzing?”

The house rumbles under Finn’s feet, and he can hear it mutter various unsavoury words into his ear. “Poe, you’re really starting to freak me out here.” He says again.

Brown eyes narrow and Poe tugs at the magic around him. Brushes against Finn’s curse, still old and bitter in the back of his mouth. But there’s no other new magics around him. Bee’s familiar cold wisp floats around, and the house a steady thrum all around him, a strong and steady buzz when he brushes his fingertips through the air. 

There are no words coming to him though. 

“How long have you been able to talk to the house?” Poe asks bringing his magic back to him and setting his coffee down to face Finn easier. 

“Uhh about a day or two.. after I came here,” Finn admits quietly. 

“You never said anything about it?”

“I assumed you could too?” Finn throws his hands up, completely bewildered. “You’re a witch, I thought a talking house was normal for you and that you just forgot to mention it!” 

Poe laughs then, thinks that that’s fair. “I mentioned Bee didn’t I!”

“I can’t understand Bee though, they’re just cold. Plus you kind of forgot to mention the outside thing?”

They stare at each other for a moment and Poe leans against the couch back, thoughts running through his head rapidly, not even realizing his body is moving until his leg is already draped over Finn’s knee. Embarrassment floods him at the action, heart racing as fast as if he was flying, but Poe is too scared to take his leg back and make them both more uncomfortable by moving away so quickly. Best just to roll with it. 

Besides, Finn is warm. 

Finn is warm and is dropping his hands to rest on his leg.

Poe’s thoughts go scattering; mutters distractedly as he tries to reel his brain back to the reasons he was thinking of before Finn had started petting his leg. “So, you can understand the house... but not Bee... two different sources of magic... maybe, maybe it’s the base…” He blinks at Finn suddenly. “What if you’re like that Percy kid?”

Finn blinks at Poe, sets his elbow on the leg on his lap to stare at the witch. “I don’t know any kids named Percy?” That’s just a terrible thing to name a child, even Finn knows that.

“No no, like Percy Jackson, from the book.” Dark eyes stare at Poe flatly for a moment, waiting barely a minute before it clicks in for the witch. Poe groans, abashed, and buries his face in the blanket wrapped around his legs for a moment. He’d like his floor to open up and swallow him whole. “I’m an ass! Jesus, I can't believe I said that, sorry!” 

“It’s okay Poe, really.” Finn startles when Poe throws the blanket back and straightens up suddenly. They’re so close together like this it makes Finn’s breath catch. 

“But that’s my point exactly!”

“That you’re an ass?” Finn muses, lips turned up.

Poe laughs sarcastically back at him, swings his legs off of Finn before he grabs the other man's hands, hauling him up off the couch and towards the stairs. “Come on I just had a hunch!” 

“What happened to the part where you said you were going to take it easy.” Finn huffs but follows Poe easily enough. 

However Poe just keeps talking all the way up the stairs. “Percy Jackson is from a book series, it’s really good, I can read it to you later if you want! But my whole point is that he’s dyslexic, he has a hard time reading, but it’s only because his brain is wired for Ancient Greek!”

Finn is pretty sure he won’t be able to read Ancient Greek either. “That’s... good for him?” He narrowly misses slipping on the rug at the top of the stairs, but thinks that has more to do with Poe’s pace and not the chaos curse. 

“Buddy, come on, work with me here!” Poe huffs and pushes Finn ahead of him and towards the staircase to the attic. “Maybe you can’t read English, or French-- they’re overrated languages anyways. But maybe we can try other languages and see if your curse is wired for something old school.”

Finn lets himself be pushed into the centre of the room while Poe strides over to the bookshelves lining the left wall. Finn grimaces at the room, he doesn’t come up here very often, something about the attic always making him feel like he’s being watched, like there’s a part of him that would rather be anywhere else than here, even if he can’t put into words why. 

It smells like old wood and candle wax; like the strike of a match that proceeds to be blown out before it truly catches on fire and it makes Finn’s skin crawl every time he steps foot up here. He watches Poe search through the case rapidly before coming back to him with a few heavy looking leather bounce books in his hands.

Dark eyes look back and forth between Poe and the red book he passes him. Finn can hear the crinkle of dried pages as he touches it and hopes beyond anything that he doesn’t destroy the aged tomb he’s just been given. “What is this?”

“Sanskrit.” 

Being as careful as he can, Finn flips open to the first page, and while the lines with the weird tales don’t jump out at him, neither do they slide off the page like written words normally do for him. “Um... I don’t know what's supposed to happen, but the words are still on the page.” Finn informs him.

“Well, it’s a start.” Poe admits and takes the book back, passing Finn another one from the stack he has. Watches as the younger man opens and immediately closes again. Gives it back to Poe with his eyes still closed and looking faintly nauseous. 

“Not good?” Poe asks and Finn shakes his head, taking a few steadying breaths. That’s a no to Sumerian then. Actually, that would strike out the other two books he’s picked too. Poe sighs with a frown and goes back to the bookshelf. “You said the words never stood still?”

Finn nods then realizes Poe isn’t looking at him, feels the wave of dizziness finally pass. “Yeah, it’s like… you know how you see rain on a window?” The witch glances at him then and Finn makes a trailing motion with his fingers. “Looks like that but with really fuzzy letters and what I assume are numbers.”

Poe hums thoughtfully under his breath and brings him another book. “Try this one, Latin. it’s a more common language used by witches. A few of the star scapes you’ve been looking at lately are written in it too.” 

Readying himself for another wave of dizziness Finn cracks the book open slowly, glancing at the pages with a careful eye. Nothing moves. “Oh.” His jaw drops as the inked words stay within the page. Only a few of them slide away, but more than Finn’s ever seen before actually stay on the page. He brushes a fingertip over a few words, almost dropping the book entirely when the words slide into his mind without prompting. He can’t read them, yet the words-- Finn gapes at the pages— his brain just seems to know them. “T-this is...”

Poe’s grin is infectious when Finn looks up at him. “I thought so. Your chaos curse, it’s keeping you from reading any language except for the language your curse is based in.” He looks extremely pleased with himself. Still sleep mused with his hair and clothes disarrayed, but Finn thinks that only adds to the man's charm. 

“Some of this is still fuzzy.” The younger man admits, hating having to burst Poe's bubble.

“Hm, oh.” Curls bounce as Poe turns back to the shelf. “That’s Classical Latin... Now, I know I have a book of Archaic Latin around here somewhe-” His sentence is cut off when a book comes flying out from across the other side of the room and smacks into his face. “OW!”

“REY!” Finn is at his side in a second, hands careful as he pushes the still floating book down to the couch and leans in to inspect where Poe’s hands are pinching his nose. “Oh my god, Poe! Are you okay- are you bleeding?”

Poe nods as he winces, tilts his head back and flapping a hand to try and wave off Finn’s concern. His voice comes out wet and nasally and Poe can taste the iron in his throat when he speaks. “S’ok-F`nn…”

Dark eyes cast a baleful look towards the wall and Finn can feel Rey’s huff of annoyance; almost like she had been exasperated waiting for them to ask for the right thing. “Be a bit more careful when you pass people stuff Rey, you could have taken his eye out.” Finn chastises, going to the long table in the middle of the room to grab some tissues.

The older man can feel the way the house buzzes in reply and Poe can’t help glancing between the wall and Finn. “ ‘eird…”

Finn rolls his eyes, passing some of the tissues to Poe before helping the other man wipe blood away from his upper lip. “She got you good,” the younger man grimaces. Poe just makes a low sound of agreement before drawing Finn's attention to the book Rey had thrown at him. When he opens it, Finn almost has to take a step back. The words are bright and bold, steady on the page and Finn tilts his head to the side when a part in his brain starts feeding him the translations from the page. “This is a spell for containing... what's a firebird?”

“A phoenix. Well, the firebirds became phoenix- that’s actually a really sad story, never mind.” Poe sighs as he sets his head back up right and curses when a bit more blood slides down his nose. Finn watches him tilt back once more and he moves to help Poe when he goes to sit down on one of the chairs at the table. “Thanks buddy.”

—

“Guess you’re hardwired for Archaic Latin.” Poe muses once the bleeding finally stops. He shuffles closer to Finn who had sat in the chair next to him, glittering dark eyes still scanning the book with amazement. 

Finn glances up from the yellowed pages and there’s something in his eyes that makes Poe’s heart trip all over itself. Excitement, disbelief… happiness. “This is awesome Poe! I don’t know what half of this book is talking about, but I can see all the words in it. And I think Rey is telling me what the words mean and just… Wow!” 

Poe fights his own grin at the man’s joy at something so simple. “Well, now that we know what the base of the Chaos Curse is, I’ll have to see what I can dig up. But I have to admit, my Archaic Latin is really bad so this may take me a while longer.” The witch grimaces and runs his fingers through his hair. “I really only know of three other witches who were powerful enough to master a spell in a language that old, and I am sadly not one of them.”

A shrug is Finn’s response, smile undimmed by the thought. The novelty of being able to see words on paper and not be sick is still a shock to him. “I’ve been dealing with this curse for over twenty years Poe,” Finn says calmly, reaching out to nudge the witch with his elbow “I can wait as long as I need too.”

Poe nods and his teeth click as he cuts off his next words. He can’t bring himself to tell Finn that the three witches he’s thinking about are akin to having no leads at all. One of them, A Healing Witch has been missing for years, while the Astrology witch, the purple haired bitch as Poe likes to call her, straight up hate’s his guts. The last though, the Chaos Witch he had trained under... is dead.

Instead of telling Finn any of that, the chaos witch merely holds up his bloodied tissue and waves to the walls. Asks instead,“So spell base aside for two seconds, can we talk about my house and it’s apparent attitude problem?”

Finn just tilts his head back laughing.


	8. i've got dreams to sell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... what even is self control... jumping Jesus H Oz.. I'm sorry this is so long, but enjoy some hand holding and some more supernatural stuff!

Ever since he mentioned it, Finn can’t help but wonder what the outside world may be like with Poe beside him. He lays awake in bed after they put away the Moonwater, thoughts of it running through his head, and for the next several nights, it’s the last thing on Finn’s mind before he falls asleep.

He’s happy in the house, with Rey all around them, with Bee a familiar and comforting cold wisp by his elbow… is so happy here with Poe it still feels like a dream most days. But then Poe went and mentioned outside, and it’s an ear worm of an idea. One he can’t seem to shake, because despite everything he has ever faced at the hands of his curse beyond the walls of this new found safety, he’s curious. What would it be like, he wonders, stepping outside, seeing what the world could be like, to see if it is as beautiful and kind as Poe seems to think it is and not as dark and painful as Finn knows it to be.

Can’t help but wonder how long he could use being out there as an excuse to hold Poe’s hand and not let go.

So it’s with great trepidation one morning that Finn searches out the witch, finds Poe out in the porch looking well rested and relaxed. Finn has frog marched the older man to bed every night this week when he feels his own sleep debt start to tug at his eyelids and his efforts seem to have paid off. The dark circles under Poe’s eyes are gone, and his hand doesn’t shake as he holds onto the never-ending watering can that Finn is still amazed by, to water the overgrown aloe vera plant in the corner. 

Poe looks up when Finn enters and the beaming smile the witch gives him makes Finn’s stomach flip with what he’s come to learn is happiness. The late October light shining through the glass windows makes his ordinarily dark hair turn umber, highlighted and soft and Finn wants desperately to run his fingers through it again. An urge he couldn’t help but indulge in when he had forced Poe to the couch to rest and found out how nice it was to curl up next to another person. 

Finn returns the smile, sliding up next to Poe and holding his hand out for the watering can, which Poe passes him easily, their fingers brushing. “So I was thinking... wondering if maybe we-I mean, I... if you wouldn’t mind...” He starts nervously, 

Dark eyes glance up helplessly as he trails off and Finn inhales deeply at the open, curious look Poe is giving him. Like he’s happy to just sit and wait until Finn finds whatever words he needs so he can do whatever it is Finn will ask of him. 

It’s a heady rush and Finn has no way to describe what it means to him.

“What is it buddy?” Poe chuckles, soft as he waits for Finn to decide if he wants to continue.

“I... Could we go outside, if you don't mind?” Finn scratches the back of his head sheepishly, a quirk he’s picked up from Poe lately, along with the hugging and the hand waving. “You said before, that I can- if I wanted to, go out... with you…” 

Poe blessedly saves him from any further stuttering and Finn lets out a heavy sigh of relief when the witch's face seems to light up in something like pride. “Of course!” The witch grins happily, the flowers all around the room seeming to perk up as well in response to Poe’s joy and Finn amazes all over again at the living things and the magic that flows through them.

Feels relieved at Poe’s easy confidence. 

Which is how Finn finds himself an hour later, once again preparing to step outside. The red of Poe’s scarf around his neck clashes terribly with the green of Han’s— of _his_ jacket; but it’s soft and warm, and the dashing smirk Poe had worn as he wrapped it around FInn’s neck make it worth looking like what Rey calls ‘a bad Christmas colour scheme’ in his ear. Whatever that means.

Poes grin widens as he slips into his own jacket and looks over at Finn, brushing the loose curl falling into his eyes aside. “So, any place in particular you’d like to go?” He asks.

Finn pauses, jaw going slack. Oh, he hadn’t thought about that. A destination. Somewhere to go so that they can come back. “Um.” Finally he gives the witch a shrug. “No idea.”

“Hah! That’s okay,” Poe laughs, turning to Bee who is floating by the stairs, watching them get ready to leave. “You’re in charge while we’re gone, if anybody knocks just tell them we’ve gone to lunch okay?”

Bee wisps around excitedly, a cool draft wafting through the entryway and in his ear, Finn hears Rey mutter something more sarcastic about ‘being completely out to lunch’. Finn doesn’t repeat it though. He’s found since introducing Poe to the spirit in his own house that the witch and said building have a tendency to snark back and forth with Finn stuck in the middle.

He avoids it whenever possible, even if Rey trades out his shampoo for something floral scented every time Finn doesn’t tell Poe some of her better comebacks.

The air is crisp as they make their way outside, Finn’s steps a lot less hesitant than he thought they would be, far less scared than experience has taught him to be. The trees in Poe’s yard and all the way down the street are half bare of leaves. A gentle breeze that isn’t anything like Bee’s brushes over them, and Finn marvels all over again when the chill doesn’t go through the jacket.

Yet the thing that truly amazes him the most, if that Poe stands behind him on the front wooden steps; waiting for Finn to take the first few at his own pace; not rushing, not pushing, just prepared to take his hand when Finn feels ready to.

“Like this?” Finn asks, lip tilting up in amusement as he holds his hand out to Poe. Because he finds he is ready. With the chaos mage beside him, he feels like he could face the entire world at this point.

Poe takes it readily.

—

Holding hands with Finn is unlike anything else, Poe thinks. The younger mans hands are soft on the back, yet his palms are littered in scars; that, according to Finn, are from numerous glasses that always broke when he touched them, and the dozens of times he’d had to throw out his hands to defend himself. It makes his chest hurt at the thought. Makes Poe want to clutch onto Finn’s hands and place kiss after kiss onto each and every raised scar; the fresh pink ones and the decades old faded lines beneath them.

Wishes deep down that he had been there to stop them and vaguely Poe wonders if Finn would let Jess make up a healing spell for them. Thinks he may call her when they get home.

Clearing his throat, Poe laces his fingers together with Finns and gives the younger man his best winning smile. Doesn’t tell Finn how his magic sparks in the air at the touch and the way it zings down his spine. Well, he’s at least sixty percent sure it’s his magic. “So, how about a quick walk through the park? Then we can try a bit of shopping if you feel up to it?”

“That sounds good.” Finn replies and together they head towards the road, Poe pausing only once they hit the end of the driveway. 

“That there is the end of the houses—“ he pauses and Poe raises both eyebrows at Finn. He’s still a little stuck on his house having a name. And being a girl. It’s made his recent showers and personal time… rather awkward. “Of Rey’s magic, once you pass that shiny line there your curses’ side effects will start to work again.” 

Dark eyes glance down to where Poe is pointing, and sure enough if he squints, Finn can see a fuzzy, shimmering line running through the grass. It reminds him of the way the backyard fades out. “But I’m good if I have you right?” Finn asks, glancing away from it.

Poe lifts their joined hands, cheeks dimpling as he smiles. “Yup!” 

Finn doesn’t hesitate this time, as they cross out onto the sidewalk, but Poe finds himself frowning, almost pouting when the cloud of the curse tries to form once more around the younger man's features. Poe uses his magic, draws on the curse with it a little harder than he normally would and some of the fog seems to fade. It’s going to make him tired by the end of the day if he keeps it up, but Poe finds he doesn’t want to be unable to see Finn’s face.

—

It doesn’t feel like it’s been over a month and a half since Finn last stepped onto this road, being pulled behind a handsome stranger who threw around crazy words like magic, curse and ‘cure’. He’s walked many roads in his life, familiar with having to be careful of the sudden cracks in them, in the way potholes would randomly appear and trip him up. Always careful even if he was never quite sure where he was going.

Right now Finn’s still not sure where he’s going. Has never been to a park in his life, far too fearful of the amount of people in them and the sudden desire he has then, to turn around and run back to the safety of Rey strikes him hard. He misses that newfound safety so ardently it almost hurts.

A squeeze to his hand draws Finn’s attention and the younger man is surprised to find his feet have stopped moving. Poe has moved to stand before him, blocking out the sight of the road with worried brown eyes and his other hand reaching out to Finn’s shoulder. They’re standing in the middle of the sidewalk, but no one seems to pay any attention to the way Finn is shaking, the way his breath comes out panicky and rapid. 

No one except Poe.

“Hey, we can go back if this is too much.” Poe offers, whispering.

The offer is tempting, Finn thinks as he tries to get his breathing under control, tries to stave off the panic he hasn’t felt in over a month. They could go back to the house, Rey could make them hot chocolate and Finn can make lunch, he’s been practicing after all. After he found out that while Poe can technically cook, he can really only make a few things well. 

It sounds like a much better idea… but it also sounds like running away; and Finn’s run enough in his life.

“I’m… good.” Finn sighs, panic slowly subsiding as he reaches out to take Poe’s other hand in his, holding them so tightly he thinks his grip must be hurting him, but the witch doesn’t say anything about it. Merely waits until Finn nods a bit more steadily before dropping one of their intertwined hands, Poe slowly starting to lead them further down the street. 

‘Yeah, I’m good.’ Finn adds silently, looking down to where they’re still holding onto each other. He knows it because of the curse, but Finn lets himself imagine for a while that Poe is holding his hand for a whole different reason. For the same reason he’s holding Poe’s hand.

The trails in the park they finally make it to are wide gravel roads, lined on either side with trees and Finn finds his fear falling back to be replaced with wonder. He’s still fully expecting a tree root, or a large rock to suddenly find its way into his path, for him to roll his ankle and fall down an embankment, but none of it happens. The wind brings up leaves that dance along the gravel and Finn watches people go by them, some runners with music blaring, small families and even people with their dogs.

Finn steps back when an overactive beagle tries to throw itself at them in excitement, and Finn waits for its eyes to turn hazy, for it’s mouth to foam— but nothing happens. The dog's owner apologizes upon seeing his hesitance but Poe just tells her it’s okay, steps in front of Finn like a barrier and asks Finn if he would like to pet it. Finn does not. Well, he would… but he wants to err on the side of caution for now and stays behind Poe as the witch bends down to pet the beagle with one hand.

Dark eyes watch the dog leave without incident and Poe grins at Finn, brushing dog fur off his coat as they continue on. They walk in silence until Finn feels Poe tug on his hand. “Hey, over there.” 

“Hm?” Finn follows where Poe is pointing towards a small wooden bridge, in disastrous disrepair and frowns when the path it leads to disappears rapidly into the trees. Something tugs on the edge of his surroundings, a quiet draw that he didn’t notice until his attention was drawn to it. It’s a muted sort of call, like a whisper from under water. “What is that?

“It’s a Nemeton.” Poe announces gleefully.

“A Nemeton?” 

“Yup.” Poe nods, and hauls Finn towards the edge of the bridge; the younger man frowns when he starts to feel the same sort of uncomfortable woozy feeling he gets in Poe’s attic. “It basically looks like a big tree, glows blue though. It’s the source of magic for a lot of Earth Elementals; other beings too and witches in particular. It’s why all witches have a love of plants and the type of witch you are also denotes the type of plant you usually have around you.”

“Is that why you have so many different kinds of plants?” Finn can’t help but ask, grin wry as he teases. “Chaos mage?”

The witch laughs but nods. “Yeah, I use a lot of different kinds of spells so I need more kinds than your average witch.” Poe laughs. “All plants share a base magic that’s similar to the Nemetons and that in turn lends us power when we make spells or potions from those plants.”

Poe toes the line of the wooden bridge and Finn’s jaw drops when he sees it start to disappear. “I’d say we could detour and go see it, but there’s a bunch of magical seals around it, and with your curse, going through them could probably hurt you… so you know, we aren’t.”

Finn chuckles at Poe’s apologetic look and shakes his head, pulling the witch back onto the main path. “That's probably a good idea.”

“Maybe later then?” Poe offers, hopeful. At Finn’s happy answering grin, a warm feeling bubbles in his chest. Finn’s realizing he has a now, which makes him think and speak of a later that looks so much brighter. And that, by itself, makes Poe happier than it rightfully should. 

Because maybe, just maybe, Finn’s will start thinking of a future with him.

—

They finally make it into town and true to his word, Poe never lets go of Finn’s hand.

Finn can’t help but shake his head however, when Poe leads them towards the diner where Han had dropped him off at. They both order a plate of pancakes, something Finn has watched Poe try to make in his own kitchen several times, yet something always happens to make them so inedible that even Finn can’t bring himself to eat them. And he’s eaten a lot of bad food in his life.

“Maybe it’s Rey’s fault.” Poe laughs around a mouthful of food, moving the fork awkwardly with his left hand. His right still held firmly in Finn’s on top of the table.

Finn just hums around his mouthful of hot chocolate. It’s not as good as Rey’s, but it has whipped cream on it so Finn wouldn’t even dream of complaining. 

The pumpkins and the strange decorations in the storefronts finally catch Finn’s attention after they leave the diner. When he brings it up to the other man, curious as to what they mean, Finn finds himself listening with rapt attention to a rather lengthy explanation about the differences of All Hallow’s Eve, Obon, Samhain, Día de Los Muertos and all about the newer traditions of Halloween. Poe even throws in a good spiel on the power of witching hour at the end of every month that makes Finn’s head spin with information overload.

“The thing nowadays is less about the prayers and magic and the souls, and more about giving out candy to the kids that dress up,” Poe chuckles, pulling Finn into a small general store to grab two boxes of mini bars. He hands one to Finn, and then takes another box for himself. “I never get a lot of kids and it sucks so I always end up eating most of the candy with Bee.”

“You don’t? I thought you had a lot of neighbours?” Finn remembers all the pretty houses they walked past earlier. 

“Kids are more susceptible to magic than adults. It’s why we’re trained so young, it's easier for the magic to take root in your soul that way.” Poe explains waving his box around for emphasis. “If you don’t grow up around magic though, any place of great power can give you the heebie jeebies, so people tend to avoid my place.” 

At the cash register Finn and Poe make the weird dance out of paying for the candy and bagging it, all without detaching from one another and the cashier just watches them, sighing with a doting smile. Poe’s ears turn red knowing what they must look like, but just thanks the stars that the older woman doesn’t say anything as they leave the store.

“What's a ‘heebie jeebies?” Finn asks as Poe uses their clasped hands to tear open one of the boxes and then with one hand, very carefully unwraps one of the bars, offering it to Finn. It’s a strange thing to be good at and Finn wonders how many of these bars Poe’s really eaten.

“It’s just a weird way of saying a place is creepy. Like, it makes chills go down your spine, someone walked over your grave, etc.”

Finn blinks at the witch in confusion but eats the candy and asks, “So like what your attic does to me?”

“Yeah!” Poe grins then pauses. “Wait, what about my attic?” 

The younger man shrugs and tugs Poe down the sidewalk, he’s ready to go home now. Ready to fall asleep on the porch where it’s warm and safe, and if he’s lucky, Poe will read another book on magic to him. 

—

When the snow falls early the next month, Finn is surprised to find that he can stay awake for most of the day. He almost misses the naps he thinks, but getting to seven o’clock without passing out on the couch is much more exciting than it has any right to be. 

“I’m getting used to it,” Finn says as he passes a potion ingredient to Poe at the stove.

“To what? Mixing potions? Buddy if you want to take over just say the word, I do not mind.”

“No, sleeping. It’s really nice.”

Poe throws him a happy smile over his shoulder, “Wait until you start taking naps that you don’t need when you have a lot of work to do. That’s when the real fun starts.” He laughs.

That night when Finn finally crawls into bed with Bee floating over him like usual, does Finn remember about the Lepidolite. The only reason he remembers is because when he shoves his hand under his pillow, something sharp digs into his palm. He frowns, pulling the crystal out and Finn is surprised to see that the once light pink stone is now completely black. “Well, that can’t be good.”

Above him Bee whirls around before ducking down to start nudging Finn back out of bed. 

“What?” Finn stumbles, but gets dutifully to his feet. He hates the idea of it, but Finn supposes he should at least let Poe know he’s finally broken the crystal. He knocks on the witches bedroom door, only jumping back slightly when Bee brushes forward and makes the door swing open on its own. 

“Poe?” Finn calls out, poking his head into the other man's room. He’s not greeted by the sight of the witch already curled up under the blankets however, but rather by the sight of a wet Poe, freshly showered and looking completely unbothered by a ghost opening his door randomly. Right, Bee has boundary issues.

“Hey Finn, whats up?” Poe asks, flush just starting to climb up his chest and onto his cheeks and he tightens his grip on the towel around his waist.

Finn stands there stupefied. Can’t help but stare at the expanse of ruddy golden skin he’s never seen before. Sure, he’s been in Poe's room enough by now to be familiar with it, but this… Finn can’t tear his eyes away from the soft lines of Poe’s chest and the dark trail of hair that leads down into his towel— 

“Finn?”

The younger man jumps, shaking himself out of his stupor; clears his throat and holds up the crystal in his hand, grimacing sadly. “Um, this thing, the Lepi-thing you gave me... I broke it.” 

Poe frowns but comes closer, turning Finn’s hand over in his own to see the crystal better, only to laugh delightedly. “Wow, holy kriff buddy, that’s amazing!” 

Dark eyes narrow in confusion as Poe all but bodily pulls Finn into his bedroom and pushes him down to sit on the witches bed. Finn does his best not to let his sudden nervousness show. Listen as Poe starts to tell him about how the Lepidolite has absorbed the power of his nightmares and attempts to focus on that, instead of the gorgeous expanse of skin before his eyes.

“So.. all that evil energy is in here now?” Finn glances down at the now black crystal, watching out the corner of his eye as Poe pulls on a pair of flannel sleep pants under his towel. 

Poe laughs, shaking his head as he throws his towel onto his floor. “Nightmares aren’t evil, not inherently anyways. Because yours seem to be a side effect of the curse they hold more power. Probably felt really life-like.” Finn nods in agreement. Life-like; that was one way to describe the yawning chasm of terror and the way he felt like he was being torn into two that he always dreamed about. “But with the warding I have in the house, it’s been moving the energy of your nightmares from you into the Lepidolite. That way the power doesn’t build up inside of you and hit you the minute you wake up.”

Finn glances up from the crystal to the witch, who has just finished pulling a shirt on over his head. “So what do we do with it?”

“Well, you don’t want to keep it do you?” asks Poe. The way the younger man shakes his head makes Poe laugh. “Alright then, to the attic. Let’s trade this bad boy in for something cool yeah?”

He really should keep track of the times Poe says stuff that he feels like he should understand, but Finn figures he’s just learned how to read Archaic Latin, writing out a list in it probably wouldn’t serve to amuse anyone but himself. Together they head to the attic, the weird feeling creeping down Finn’s spine almost familiar by now.

Finn watches as Poe goes over to one of the book cases, rummaging around for a moment before coming back with a wide purple ribbon. He holds it up to Finn. “Trust me?”

Unsurprisingly Finn does and tells him as much, watching the red return to Poe’s cheeks at his words. 

“Ok, this just, this’ll go over your eyes, and I can say the spell for you.” Poe says wrapping the ribbon around Finn’s eyes, “No peeking,” he adds when the younger man bends down so Poe can see to tie it.

They both laugh and Finn lets Poe help him stand back up straight, keeping a tight hold on his shoulders as the older man mutters something unintelligible— a summoning spell if Finn remembers correctly— under his breath. “Okay, now just.. walk.” 

Finn raises an eyebrow from beneath the blindfold. Poe is still holding onto his shoulders. “Uh, but you… and the table?”

“You’re not gonna hit anything Finn,” Finn opens his mouth. “Just trust me, remember? Now walk, come on, he’ll show you where to go.” 

Finn wants to object, wants to know if Poe’s coming with him wherever he’s going; he also wants to ask who ‘he’ is. But he trusts the witch, so instead of voicing his questions, Finn takes a hesitant step forward. 

“That’s it, just like that.” Poe’s voice doesn’t sound any further away but Finn can feel himself moving. He can still feel Poe’s hands on his shoulders but like it’s on another part of his body altogether.

He keeps walking. The darkness of the blindfold seems to meld into a vague sense of grey after a few minutes; and when that too is replaced by the cast of a fine mist before his eyes Finn is sure he’s not even looking at the back of fabric anymore. 

A small thing appears and for the life of him, Finn has never seen anything like it before. Not even in all the pictures in the books Poe’s been reading to him. It appears before him and Finn freezes where he stands. Much like Maz had, the creature barely comes up to his waist. It’s wearing the suit of a dapper man, blazer, waistcoat and kerchief, but has the hands of an elephant's foot with the skull of a large cat. 

It stops with a surprised sound echoing from it’s boney teeth and turns to look at Finn. “Ah, well look who it is! Yer` the one Dameron was goin’ on and on about eh?” The creature asks and Finn startles. 

“I beg your pardon?”

“Don’t stand on ceremony with me lad,” the bones clatter at the creature's mouth as it laughs and Finn’s pretty sure he once heard an accent like this in a town far to the north.. “I got places to go. So ya got something fer me?”

“I... what do I have?” Finn has no idea where he actually is and has even less of an idea of what he’s supposed to be doing here.

His confusion must show on his face, and Finn thinks it’s strange how a thing with no eyes in it’s sockets, can still give off the illusion of rolling their eyes in exasperation at him. The creature points with a flat grey hand to FInn’s own, and it seems by drawing his attention to it, only now can Finn feel the sharp edges of the crystal cutting into his palm. He opens his fist and the creature whistles coming to stand directly before him. 

Finn wobbles for a moment, unsure if it’s rude to stay standing, wonders if he should bend down to be at eye… skull...level with the creature. After a moment's hesitation, he does indeed kneel down, holding the crystal in his hand out for the creature to inspect.

“Now there's a doozy in't it? Ain't seen somethin’ like this in decades.” Bones rattle when smoke starts to stream out from behind the mist until eventually the mist is all but gone. Finn’s vision shakes and where there wasn’t anything before, a mass of opaque bubbles seem to come out from the smoke. 

A scent hit’s Finn then, and it smells like something familiar. Nothing he can place but something he thinks he remembers from a long long time ago. The creature's voice interrupts his thoughts. “So what’dya want fer it?”

Finn startles himself. “I... I don’t actually know… I've never done this before.”

“Well duh. That's why Do-Good Dameron sent ya ta me, I’m a Dream Buyer kid.” The creature laughs, shaking its head until its teeth rattle. “That boy is somethin’ else, gives those danged witches a good name.”

An idea strikes Finn then, his heart leaping in his chest in excitement at it. “Could you... is it possible that if I give you this...” Finn holds out the crystal nervously; hopefully. “Could you give me something for him?”

The smoke gets heavier and the bubbles turn even more opaque, moving to float by Finn as the creature turns to stare back at him with it’s ivory white skull.

“Gotta be honest with ya kid, ya got a lot`a power in you, an a bunch a’it is in this here crystal. Ya get me enough of these, a few years worth give or take... you could buy that pretty little curse away from yaself.” 

Finn inhales sharply at the offer but finds himself shaking his head before he can think about it too long. Poe’s done so much for him, the witch deserves a reward, no matter what he says about doing it because he wants too. Besides, there’s the selfish part of him that realizes that while Finn being rid of his curse would in turn finally free Poe of Finn... Finn can’t help but hesitate. Poe has never said a word about Finn overstaying his welcome, the chaos mage just grinning widely whenever he walks into a room and finds Finn there. 

He’s okay with how things are at the moment. For once. More than anything right now, Finn wants to give something back to Poe, to show how much he has come to mean to Finn.

Besides, Poe is still working on a cure for him. Coincidently they’re looking more together these days, Poe teaching Finn as much as he wants to learn and Finn trusts Poe to take care of it. 

How novel. 

“All yer power an yet ya ask what ya can do for another? Feh, yer a strange little kid.” The Dream Buyer muses even thought Finn hadn’t spoken. “Well, if that’s yer final decision then?” 

Finn nods. “It is.”

The creature huffs a laugh that makes its jaw shake like it could fall off. “We do a trade then, you gimme the rock, and I'll give you it’s value in what I got. Good?” The younger man nods again and passes over the Lepidolite. “This is worth a pretty penny so, lets see...”

Behind the Dream Buyer Finn watches as three of the largest opaque bubbles float over to them, they hover next to them and Finn marvels at them. Each one is the size of a grown man, yet as one the bubbles turn translucent, and dark eyes widen in surprise at the three small things left behind. 

There’s a tie-pin closest to him, gold with a bird-like symbol carved into it. In the second is a feather that radiates warmth and seems to shine in all the colours of the rainbow. And then, between those two things, there’s the plant. Small and unassuming. Barely grown. Green and tiny in comparison, and Finn knows his choice right away.

Poe would absolutely love it.

Finn motions to the plant. “Can it be this one?”

The creature seems surprised, laughs a bit but it’s bright and honest. “Nah kid, all of`em are yers. I wasn’t kiddin’ when I said ya had power an that much power is no paltry thing. These three items are all I got that even come close to it. Law of exchange kid, gotta be as near as equal.”

Finn is amazed, but thinks back to what Poe had said about the most immutable law of Magic and how it was better to keep things on an even kneel as best one could with magic. As carefully as he can Finn reaches out to take the tiepin first, attaching it to his nightshirt. Takes hold of the feather between his fingers and Finn feels a heat spread throughout him that feels like it would keep him warm indefinitely. Reminds him of the porch on a lazy sunday afternoon.

Finally, he cradles the small potted plant close to his chest. When Finn looks back up at the Dream Buyer it’s just in time to see the creature let go of the crystal. Together they watch as it floats out behind them and the bubble that forms around it dwarfs everything around it. In a short moment it turns opaque like the others and Finn let’s out a sigh of relief that the crystal and the power of his nightmare is at least a little bit further away from him.

“Good doing business with ya punk,” 

And Finn feels his feet go out from under him--

\-- only for two strong arms to catch him before he fits the floor. Finn flails about, careful of the items in his hands, only stopping when he feels familiar fingers reach up to pull the purple fabric away from his eyes. 

Poe is sitting on the floor, one arm braced around Finn’s shoulders and warm brown eyes look down at the younger man with amusement as Finn looks around completely disoriented. 

“So how was the little bastard?” The witch laughs, dropping the fabric to the floor as he helps Finn over towards the table. Bee whirls in concern over them, and Rey prods at Finn curiously in the back of his mind.

However before Finn can get his bearing enough to reply, Poe looks down at the feather and the small pot. “Holy shit is that a phoenix feather!?” He flashes a grin at the younger man, eyes softening when he feels Finn shivering under the hand he has on his knee. The leftover chill left over from the other realm that he doubts Finn even registers. “I told you it was powerful.”

Finn blinks as Poe reaches for one of the knitted blankets on the other chairs and lets out a shaky breath when the chaos witch drapes it over his shoulders. He clutches the blanket around him and squeezes the feather in his hand, the magical heat starting to chase away his chill. The flower pot however, he holds out to Poe shyly. “Here, I- I got this for you.”

Poes jaw drops, wide brown eyes shooting back and forth between Finn and the flower pot, a look of amazement on his face. “You.. what? Finn no, you don’t have to do that!” He looks back down to the small potted plant for a moment longer and Finn grins at the red blooming on golden cheeks. 

“I wanted to.” the younger man grins.

“Finn, this is a Middlemist Red.” Poe’s voice sounds reverent but Finn just shrugs. 

He has no idea what that means. 

“It’s the rarest plant in the world Finn.” The witch muses, brushing his fingertips over the edge of the small pot, catching the soft skin along the back of Finn’s hand as he goes. “You paid the price for it, you should keep it.” 

Finn shakes his head. “I have this,” He holds out the feather he’s holding and then shifts the blanket to show Poe the edge of his shirt with the tie pin. “And this too.”

“A firebird pin?!” Poe purses his lips together with a whistle, eyes wide. “Wow.”

“So, it’d mean a lot to me, after everything you’ve done for me, and to get rid of my curse... please.” Finn pushes the pot a bit closer to the other man, a smile breaking out on his face when Poe carefully takes it from him. 

The witch brushes one of the leaves with a fingertip and coos quietly at the smallest of small buds already appearing on the stem. Poe loves it already; can even feel the way his own chaos magic seems to bloom in response to the power flowing through the very roots of the plant. 

Poe feels the affections he’s been trying to tamp down for weeks swell in his chest. “I-if you’re sure.”

Finn tells him he has never been so sure of anything in his life.

—

The next day Finn watches as Poe sets a fully bloomed Middlemist Red in a place of honour right in the middle of the mantel in the living room. The familiar twinge in his chest he knows nothing about goes off again when Poe turns to smile at him, face alight with a happiness Finn wants to keep there for as long as he can.


	9. pava and her perks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was by far the fucking worst chapter to write in the history of everything I wrote. It fought me every step of the way. So I hope you enjoy, but more so, I hope it makes sense...
> 
> Please feel free to burn accordingly.
> 
> There's some angst at the end :D Please enjoy

Finn thinks he has a new appreciation for snow. He never knew it could be anything beyond cold and wet; dangerous. Didn’t know it could be so beautiful as he watches fat clumps of snow float down through the glass wall of the porch. They melt on contact with the windows and Finn grins. For as pretty as is it, he’s glad to be witnessing snow from inside for once in his life.

Poe had put on music out in the living room before heading up to the attic with a quick wave to Finn. Off to collect more ingredients to walk the younger man through their next potion, the witch musing out loud to Bee as he disappeared up the stairs. Finn’s taking the opportunity to finish watering the few plants that were starting to look a little dry while waiting for Poe to come back downstairs. 

A thump out in the kitchen draws Finn from his thoughts with a frown; did Poe fall down the stairs again? The noise sounds again and dark eyes narrow as Finn sets the watering can down, just as the distant sound of rumbling starts echoing nearer and nearer… 

“Poe?” Finn calls out warily, stepping slowly out of the porch and into the kitchen. He doesn’t get an answer, the witch nowhere to be seen. He’s just about to call out again louder, but instead Finn almost jumps out of his skin when Rey suddenly starts screaming in his ear. “REY! What the-”

The house yells again, voice so loud and worried that it feels like it’s shattering through Finn to his very core. _Run_ , it’s telling him, _RUN FINN!_

Finn frowns, and before he can get his legs to cooperate, wonders vaguely when his knees got so wobbly. When across the kitchen the pantry doors begin to glow, shaking wildly on their hinges and the young man stumbles. Finn winces when a sudden canopy of screeching, echoed sounds start blaring from the shaking doors. And It’s loud. Loud enough that it makes something inside Finn’s ears crack and pop.

Silence reigns for a moment, the entire kitchen still, before the pantry doors burst open and slam into the walls. The familiar swirl of Poe’s magic portal moves rapidly, only instead of his normal orange and purples, it’s a dizzying swirl of bright blues.

Finn doesn’t hesitate, acting on a split second decision and he hurries forward to close the doors. But the rumbling echo beyond the screeching is only getting louder, and it sounds like thunder getting closer the nearer Finn gets to the portal. The moment his fingers brush the pantry doors something else is falling out of it and Finn barely has enough time to slam the door shut behind the thing— a person that is crashing bodily into him. The young man grunts, winded as the full weight of a slim woman collapses on top of him and they both careen to the floor in a heap.

“GODS FUCKING HELL DAMERON! DO YOU NOT ANSWER YOUR DOOR ANYMORE!!” The woman on top of him shouts, pulling back to glare at Finn, only to freeze. Finn presumably reasons it’s because he’s not Poe. “What the fuck?!”

Finn’s sentiments exactly. He takes in the woman’s dark straight hair and dangerous eyes, the angry tilt to her lips, her pissed off expression and starts to ask. “Who are-”

They’re both distracted, heads whipping around in unison when the pantry doors shake again, blue light only shining brighter around the frame, and as one Finn and the woman are scrambling to their feet. Finn starts towards the hallway, towards the stairs to yell for Poe, but finds himself being dragged towards the door with a strong hand curled into his sweater. He flails about for a moment before his back slams against the shaking door, the woman next to him with a look that, if Finn was a betting man, could freeze liquid nitrogen. 

He’s not mind you. Knows the rolls of dice where he’s concerned. 

Finn just grimaces as the door rattles even harder, almost pushing him clean off his feet and he watches in horror as the hinges are torn right out of the wall.

“Who the hell are you?” The woman screeches.

“Who am I?” Finn can feel his eye twitch. “Who are you?” 

“Where the fuck is Dameron!” She snaps back.

He turns away from her to shout towards the hallway, “POE!” just as the door gives way behind them. Finn and the woman yelp as the wood splinters into jagged pieces and Finn does his best to move quickly. Raising both of his arms up to shield the stranger as they’re pushed back down to the floor. 

Finn shouts in pain as he feels a shard of the door lodges in his shoulder, his ears ringing with the sound of Rey’s screams when his head collides solidly with the floor. Behind them something barrels through the portal they had failed to hold shut and when Finn turns to stare at it with watery eyes, he balks at it… whatever it is.

The creature above them is black as tar. Outrageously large and horned, but unrecognizable and Finn belatedly realizes the creature is not just the colour of tar, but seems to be actually coated in it. Black sludge slides off its horns, its enormous frame, splattering all over the floor. 

Fear strikes through Finn at the sight of it. The woman next to him curses loudly as the creature knocks the rest of the pantry door from the frame as it attempts to move in the small space of the kitchen.

“That’s big…” Finn utters in shock. It’s large enough that the creature merely has to turn and the entire counter area is crushed beneath its movement. Distantly Finn can hear Rey shouting swears as the house struggles to expand the kitchen. Rey uses her limited magic to pull back counters and magic away cupboards, keeping herself out of the creatures path. It’s no use--the fridge is knocked onto its side as the creature shifts towards them.

“Finn? What’s with all the nois-” Poe comes running into the kitchen, Bee right behind him, only to freeze in the doorway to take in the sight before him. “WHAT THE-! ” Brown eyes land on the tar covered creature taking up his kitchen, and his two friends directly in the path of it. Poe’s face pales. “Finn! Jess!”

“Poe! Look out!” The woman next to Finn, Jess he assumes, yells as she tries to move. However the tar like sludge is already starting to spread out across the floor and she slips back down with a grunt.

Time seems to slow as the creature lets out an ungodly howl, one not fit for the name of any animal whose skin it could be wearing. An ethereal echo that shakes through the kitchen and their bones when empty space peels open through the tar just beneath the horn. It’s a terrible noise. Painful and long forgotten and the three humans wince at the sheer volume of it. 

Finn feels like a spike is being driven into his chest at the sound… there’s something so tragically familiar about it. It makes his stomach want to turn over as he’s assaulted by fear; fear that doesn’t come from _him_. 

He gasps, dark eyes landing on the creature and in turn, two black voids like eyes turn to stare at Finn. Catches him in it’s sights and the creature roars so loudly it almost deafens Poe and Jess’s screams when they see it zero in on him.

“FINN!”

“Look out!!”

Finn tries to steal a breath, wants to move, to run to Poe. Yet he can barely make his lungs expand, the thunderous beating of his heart taking up all the space inside his chest. He’s frozen. Doesn’t even see Poe start to lunge towards him, trying to get to him first. 

He’s stuck, black tar sticking him to the floor, and the creature lets loose another howl that knocks dishes to the floor and windows to shatter. Finn swears he’s heard it before, somewhere, a very long long time ago— 

Purple light envelopes the kitchen and Finn slams his eyes closed against it just as the creature's foot swings towards him.

—

“FINN!” Poe feels his heart sink to the floor when he sees the creature turn towards Finn. He can see Jess scramble from her spot on the floor, but Poe’s faster. 

The witch shouts, uncaring about the mess the creature is making of his house, of Rey, and Poe is drawing as much power to himself as he can. He only has seconds, shooting forward with a deadly intent he hasn’t felt in years.

Chaos magic brims bright purple at his fingertips and Poe slams his hands together, heart racing as the ensuing wave of magic knocks the creatures foot aside. It isn’t much, but it’s just enough time for the witch to slide to his knees through the tar and catch Finn as the younger man falls backwards. 

Poe wraps a firm arm around his shoulders, draws Finn as close to his chest as he can and throws out his free hand. The purple darkening as it leaves him, the witches brown eyes flashing with magic, far from any colour Finn has ever seen.

Finn wants to reach up, wants to yell something- anything, but can’t seem to get his limbs to cooperate. Wants to reach out to him… anyway he can… _POE!_

Gasping at the sudden surge of power around him, Poe grunts as he pulls at it. Gathers it. Black tendrils of pure chaos magic surging and extending outwards in a rush that burns the centre of his palm. He pulls at it even more, molds it to his will; holds a stock-still Finn as tightly as he can and Poe throws everything he has towards the massive creature. 

Prays that it will be enough-

Dark purple magic erupts and the shockwave of it is powerful enough to knock them all backwards. Jess scrambling to hold onto the doorframe as she’s pushed almost clear out of the kitchen. Poe scrambles to throw himself bodily over Finn, who clutches at him with tar coated hands, and uses his magic to anchor them to the floor.

The light fades slowly around them. Poe wincing at the acrid aftertaste of old corrupt magic that lingers in the air as he finally turns to look at where the horned creature had loomed over them.

“Is that a turtle?” Finn asks in surprise, fingers still clamped firmly in the back of Poe’s shirt, unwilling to move out from under him just yet.

“I…yes? Maybe?” Poe replies pushing himself up to look out over the mass of black tar coating his floor. Where indeed, just beyond the pile of broken cupboards and dishes, is in fact, a turtle. Dark green with its feet sunk in sticky black and looking rather indignant.

Poe looks down at Finn, and Finn glances back up at him. Then, as one, they both burst out laughing. Bright gasping laughs on the edge of manic and Poe feels his heartbeat finally start to slow. 

They’re safe. 

Finn’s safe.

Carefully Poe pulls back, slowly drops the arm he has around Finns shoulders to the younger man's waist and helps him stand. Only as Poe gets his own feet back under him, the tables turn, and it’s Finn suddenly clutching onto his arms as the room spins in sickening circles in Poe’s vision . 

“Poe!” Finn shouts, bracing himself against the sludge and catching the witch as Poe’s knees go out from under him. 

“M’good.” Poe mutters, tries to focus himself with the firm grip he has on Finn’s arms. Zeroes in on the heat and firm muscle under his palms instead of the way his magic roils inside of him like the worst case of heartburn. It feels like he’s stood up too fast, like a head rush of epic proportions. The chaos witch takes a few deep breaths, spreads what’s left of his magic out to the tips of his fingers and feels it shake the very air around him. It helps a little, but not much and Poe tries for another, more convincing. “I’m good.”

Finn does not look convinced.

“Really,” Poe chuckles, lifting his own shaking hand to Finn’s cheek, wipes away a glob of tar on the younger man's cheek and grimaces when he sees the cut just above Finn’s temple. “You’re bleeding through.”

Dark eyes roll and Finn huffs, reaching up to cup Poe’s hand in his own against the side of his face “Oh yes, I have a tiny cut yet you can barely stand, so I’m clearly what we should be worried about.”

Jaw dropping slightly, Poe can’t help snorting at the man's sharp humour. Sarcasm had been new to Finn when he first moved in, but it’s something he picked it up rather quickly. Poe grins, the corner of his mouth pulling up and he tries to force his legs to stop shaking. “Just more offensive magic than I’ve used in a while buddy, that’s all. Takes more out of a witch.”

Finn goes to reply, but a cough coming from the doorway makes the two men spring apart; barely re-catching one another as the sticky goo on the floor keeps their feet stuck in place.

“Well, that was exciting.” Jess piques up, shaking her head at the two across the room. She raises an eyebrow at Poe. “So, something wrong with your doorbell Dameron?”

“My doorbell?” Brown eyes narrow as the witch turns to face what remains of his pantry. There isn’t much. All that’s left is a hole in the drywall leading into the storage room behind it, and part of a door barely hanging onto the last hinge. “Well shit…”

Finn chuckles at the mess, turns an ear to Rey as she grumbles colourfully to him about it. “Rey says the doorbell didn’t ring?” He relays, then adds with a frown. “And I’m not repeating the second part.” 

Jess stares at Finn in confusion for a moment before looking towards her fellow witch; pointing at the younger man and whirling her finger against her temple in question.

“He’s not crazy Jess, kriff off.” Poe glares at her, disentangling himself from Finn’s grip to flip her off. Wincing as he picks his way carefully over towards the turtle, shoes squelching in the tar. “In old news, my house apparently has a name. Rey.”

“What the hell is a ‘Rey’?” Jess pulls a face, edging around the mess to edge closer to her friend, hands that are already glowing a soft yellow spread out towards him.

However the chaos witch holds up a hand to stop her. Instead pointing to Finn, who startles back when Poe’s sudden motion almost hits him in the chest. “No, you heal him first. You know the rules. You’re the one who caused the mess this time, ergo, you do as I say.” 

Jess rolls her eyes at their stupid old compromise, but dutifully turns towards Finn and beckons him towards her. Finn trades a wary look with Poe, but the other man just nods at him reassuringly so he steps up in front of her. It’s only when Jess reaches out towards him that she pauses. 

“Hmm.” She turns and snags Poe’s elbow in one hand regardless, before holding her other still glowing hand out against Finn’s chest. “Just to be on the safe side.”

Poe rolls his eyes, but doesn’t shake her hand off, and he feels it the moment Jess’s magic flares to life. The telltale warmth that signals all healing magic coursing through him as a filter before it moves to flow into Finn. Sighs into the way his own off-balance magic starts to stabilize then. The chaos magic of Finn’s curse Jess is siphoning off flows into him when as it tries to affect her magic. It does more to help Poe’s wn magic that it should.

He takes a deep breath and sinks into it.

Finn’s jaw drops when he feels the pain in his head and in his shoulder recede. Amazes when he can lift fingertips to his temple and press against the newly sealed skin like there was never a cut there at all. “Wow! That’s awesome!” He turns a blinding smile at Jessika who can’t help grinning in return. “Thank you!”

“S’not that impressive.” The chaos witch mutters petulantly at Finn’s exuberance. Rolling his eyes when Jess gives him a knowing smirk and Poe does his best to ignore just how wide her shit-eating grin towards Finn is becoming. 

“It is a pretty sweet trick.” Jess agrees, patting Finn on the shoulder as her hands finally stop glowing. She lets go of the other witch after giving Poe a cursory once over. “You hurt anywhere else?” 

For as much as he and Jess bicker back and forth with one another, the real concern Poe can see in her eyes makes him smile every time. “Nah, I’m fine,” he smiles. “Some sleep and I’ll be good.”

Both Finn and Jess give him unconvinced looks, but a cool wisp ghosting over the back of their necks distracts the three of them. Bee floats behind Poe in curious circles above the turtle and the three humans stare down at once fearsome creature that is watching the ghost with annoyance on its dark green face.

“I didn’t even know turtles could even look that angry?” Jess mutters.

“What are we gonna do with it?” Finn asks, nerves flaring as Poe shimmies closer to the ghost and the turtle. “Poe Dameron, you be careful.”

Just as Poe reaches towards the creature, the turtle lunges forward as much as it can and snaps angrily at the witch. Poe startles, boots catching once more on the tar and causing him to slip sidewards, grimacing as he lands elbow deep in the goo. 

The turtle growls… actually growls and Finn recognizes it as the sound he heard rumble through the porch before the creature had broken into their kitchen. He helps Poe to his feet, dragging him away and keeping hold of him as he eyes the small reptile warily.

“Well that’s certainly… interesting.” Poe mutters but when he goes to step forward again Finn holds him back with a pointed look. When it becomes apparent that the younger man is going to let go of him the chaos witch looks over at Jess imploringly. “Wanna try?”

The healer just glares back at him. “You have to be kidding. It almost ate me three times and you want me to touch it?”

Finn feels both his eyebrows disappear into his hairline at Jess’s words. With his own sigh, the younger man steps forward, pressing against the firm muscle of Poe’s chest when the witch tries to follow him. “No, you stay. It already doesn’t like you.”

Poe curls his lip up in distaste. “Well look what it did to my kitchen, the feeling’s mutual!” Finn glares at him and the chaos witch holds his hands up in surrender. “Alright, go ahead and try then.”

As carefully as he can, Finn works his way through the tacky tar and crouches down before the small green reptile. When it doesn’t make a move to snap at him like it had Poe, the younger man quickly swoops forward and grabs it by the sides of its shell, lifting it up out of the goo. The turtle jerks at the movement, but pauses when it catches sight of the human holding it. Finn freezes. But watches the turtle look back at him for a moment, before staring in shock as it goes limp in his hands. The reptile pulls its legs halfway into its shell and seems to settle into the humans hold and Finn lets out the breath he had been holding. Huh. “It’s actually kind of cute.” 

Poe stares at Finn and the suddenly docile creature. Gobsmacked. “What?”

Finn lifts the turtle up to stare more into its face and cocks his head to the side. It’s scales shine iridescent and it really just looks old and tired, decidedly nothing like what attacked them. Finn feels that. “Just saying. Worse things have tried to eat me.”

“It was literally a fucking massive rhino about ten minutes ago.” Jess mutters, keeping a wary eye on the small animal now firmly held aloft by Finn. 

“Right.” Finn lowers the turtle down and looks at the other two witches. “So, what are we gonna do with it?”

Jess opens her mouth, retort on the tip of her tongue but Poe makes a tutting sound. “We’re not killing it.” He cuts her off a second time adding, “Not until we know for sure what it was. I’m not killing any ex-Gods just because it tried to eat you.” 

The woman huffs but nods, “Fine. We can send it off to Maz?” 

“I was thinking Ackbar.” Poe raises an eyebrow and points out to his backyard. Looks at Finn imploringly. “Would you care to do the honours? Since it seems less likely to bite you.”

Finn grins toothily, eyes dancing with amusement as he hefts the turtle onto his hip. “Not at all. Don’t destroy anything else while I’m gone?” He laughs, eyeing the precariously balanced cupboard still hanging onto the wall.

Poe laughs, squelches his way over to the back door with Finn and shakes his head. “This is going to take us forever to clean up.” He runs a sticky hand through his hair and waves his other at the broken glass of the back sliding door. Instead of mending itself, the glass falls from the frame and crashes to the floor and both Finn and Poe wince. “Okay, not enough stable magic to fix the door yet, noted. Watch the glass.”

The younger man shakes his head and steps through the empty frame of the door. “Good try though.” He throws Poe a charitable look and heads out into the backyard without hesitation.

Brown eyes watch him leave into the dimension of the yard. But it isn’t until Poe turns around and is met with Jess’s all too knowing smirk that he immediately regrets Finn leaving. 

“He’s awful cute!” Jess chortles.

“Oh my god Pava.” Poe groans.

“Hey I’m just sayin!” She puts her hands up, grin sliding from her face. “I’m also saying I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like that before.” When the other witch doesn’t say anything, Jess continues. “You’re strong Poe, but that was something else.”

Poe can’t help but agree, wondering if maybe, just maybe, it was excess chaos magic from Finn’s curse that mired with his own. That he drew from any available source in his vicinity in order to protect the man who has come to be so important to him. Even if that source happened to be Finn himself. 

He thinks he sees the same conclusion in Jess’s eyes but Poe draws himself up, turns away from her searching gaze to Finn through the broken window over the sink. A soft smile tugs at his face when he sees him set the turtle down in the wet grass, heart melting as he watches the younger man use the corner of his shirt to wipe away some of the black off the reptile. 

“Oh sainted goddesses, you’re in love with him!” Jess shrieks, suddenly gleeful and a lot closer to his side then she was prior. 

Poe whips around to shove a goo-covered hand over her mouth. “For fuck’s sake Pava! Shut up!” He hisses, ignoring the way his friend tries to squirm out of his reach. The red on his neck betrays him and he can see the delighted glint in Jess’s eyes. Poe growls lowly, ducks his eyes, unable to look at either of his friends then. “It’s not like that.”

Jess slaps his hands away and wipes her mouth off. Her tone softens then, voice chiding; because she’s known Poe a long time and she hasn’t seen him react like that in ages. “You want it to be like that.” 

And Poe can’t say anything, because deep down, yes he does want it to be like that. Wants to cure Finn and then asks him to stay. He wants to curl up with him on the porch on rainy afternoons and look at star-scapes. Gods… Poe wants a lot of things with Finn. Never would have figured that when Maz had called him months ago, Finn would turn out to mean so much to him. 

“S-shut up.” 

“How come you haven’t said anything, that’s not like you.” The witch teases, nudging Poe. Because hello, Jess saw how defensive Poe got over him when the creature had turned toward him. She had seen the fear in his eyes and felt the power in his magic when he ran forward. She can see the blush in his cheeks at the mere thought of Finn.

And isn’t that sweet.

Poe opens his mouth to retort, to turn Jess’s attention elsewhere other than on Finn and any feelings he may or may not possess. When what’s left of the backdoor slides open and Finn is stepping back into the mess of the kitchen. Sans turtle.

“Ackbar said he doesn’t know what the creature was,” Finn says, edging his way back into the room but carefully side-stepping the tar. “But he took it and said he’d get back to me.”

“Well, hopefully he’ll be able to tell us something.” Poe huffs, blowing a stray curl away from his face and forcing his heart beat to calm. “I’m going to get a mop… unless somebody else has the energy left to fix all of this?” 

He sends a pointed look to his ceiling and then to Finn who only laughs when he hears Rey muttering quiet scathing things in his ear about how she already tried to save the kitchen, without any gratitude. Thank you very much. The younger man shakes his head and Poe looks over at Pava.

“Hey, don’t even look at me, that’s not my racket.” Jess mutters, throwing her hands up. “I heal people, not things.”

Poe mutters something sarcastic under his breath that neither of them catch and schleps out towards the hallway. “Fine.” He huffs. “I’ll get the mop.”

Jess takes the opportunity to glance over at the man she had only ever heard Poe talk about. The cursed man with the world's worst luck that affected everything he did. The young man who had the entire universe working against him but still had the kindest heart Poe had ever seen. And Jess had listened, heard the way her friend's voice had cracked. She had suspected. But seeing Poe and Finn together... 

She knows. 

“So you’re _the_ Finn eh?” Jessika sees the way he’s watching Poe leave, sees the glint of concern in those fathomless dark eyes that hold a world of pain. Yet, she can feel the power of his spirit even from where she’s standing. The perk of a healing witch, she thinks, to feel what’s left of the soul. And Finn is burning with it. “Something wrong?”

Jess watches Finn jump minutely, but she sees him rally just as quickly, shooting her a reassuring smile. Finn doesn’t even know her and he’s trying to reassure her… Jess wants to laugh. Or cry. Or maybe something in-between those two things.

“No, nothing’s wrong.” Finn says. “I just… I’ve never seen him, you know, be like that before.”

“Like what?” Jess asks, curiosity spiked. Has Poe been something other than the world's best chaos witch around Finn?

Finn isn’t sure how to describe it. He wants to say he’s never seen Poe, gentle Poe who has given him so much, be dangerous looking. Finn would almost call him angry… but it wasn’t even that. He knows Poe can be protective. Has seen him worry over the smallest burn on the stove and the barest graze from a spell. But seeing the way the witch threw himself into danger, for him.

It scared Finn.

Another part of him also tells him it was kind of hot, seeing Poe be that powerful, but Finn squashes that little voice in his head. It sounds suspiciously like Rey and Finn just shrugs at Jess helplessly. He can’t really explain it.

Jess seems to understand it though. “Yeah. Dameron, eh?”

They share a wry smile just as Poe comes back with mops and buckets. 

“Okay, Poe, you know I love you and would do anything for you,” Jess laughs. “But honestly, I’m ordering us food and hitting the shower.” 

Poe glares at her, though honestly, he’s surprised Jess has stuck around this long for one of her messes. They both know each other, and the amount of times Poe had run off leaving Jess to clean up after him, or vice versa… it’s close to insurmountable. 

“Fine.” Poe rolls his eyes, offering the second mop to Finn just as the counter around the sink pops back into its normal place. Finn takes it readily.

So Jess does as she said she was going to. Orders them a few pizzas and when she asks Finn what he likes for topping, the younger man just gives her a funny look and says that they’ve never ordered pizza before. She whips around to glare daggers at a sheepish-looking Poe. “What the hell are you doing? Starving the poor kid?”

Poe goes to object, to complain that he’s cooked plenty of decent meals for Finn without resorting to take-out. But Jess is already back on the phone and adding two more pizzas to her order.

Finn sends a questioning look to the chaos witch; Poe merely shrugs. 

“This way he’ll be able to find out what he likes.” The woman muses, tossing her phone to her fellow witch. “My card’s in the slot, I’m stealing your shower.”

“HEY!” Poe barely catches the small phone, although he almost feels like dropping it on purpose. “You’re really not going to help clean my kitchen at all?!”

Jess shrugs as she reaches the doorway. “Just wait, you’ll be all charged up by the morning, and you can fix it then.” Then she disappears up the stairs, and Poe mimes throwing her phone into the mess of sticky black tar that’s slowly coming off his floor. 

Rey’s managed to get the refrigerator back where it’s supposed to be, but Finn can tell even the spirit of the house is dragging her heels in light of trying to save itself from the monster.

“Can we really just leave this for tomorrow?” Finn hesitates to ask but shakes out his sticky hands and gives the witch an imploring look. 

The chaos mage grimaces and keeps mopping. “It’s not so much about actually cleaning it up, I’m more worried about the smell.” Poe admits. “And the fact that whatever this stuff is I don’t want Rey to absorb any more of it than she already has.”

Which makes sense, Finn thinks. Grins a little at the concern for the house Poe normally doesn’t show, the two more apt to bicker than be nice to one another. But Finn just hides his smirk and uses the dustpan Poe had passed him to to scoop more tar up off the floor.

“It’s still gross though.” Finn sighs.

“Oh it’s so gross. I’m going to be cleaning black out from underneath my fingernails for weeks.”

—

The sun has already set by the time he and Poe are done in the kitchen. The majority of the black tar carried out into the black yard and lit ablaze in a cleansing ritual Jess takes over when she comes back downstairs. However when the clock strikes ten, Finn can barely keep his eyes open. He feels like he’s eaten two whole pizzas himself, and his stomach aches from being so full. Jess always seemed to put another slice on his plate every chance she got and Finn didn’t have the heart to say no to it. Past him would have killed for one more bite of food. Begged and borrowed and pleaded for just another crumb to fill the empty hole inside of him. 

Yet now, his stomach is full to bursting and Finn has to bid both Poe and Jess a soft goodnight before he falls asleep at the couch. Finn hugs them both goodnight before Bee nudges him towards and up the stairs, cold wisp gentle across his back.

Only when Finn goes to close the door to his room, does Bee blow it back open. Finn frowns at the cold wisp of the ghost and tries closing it again, only Bee is doing the same thing. He opens his mouth to ask the ghost what it’s trying to do, but pauses when he hears Poe and Jess’s voices float up the stairs.

Finn feels his heart skip a beat in his chest when he hears their words. 

—

“Yyyoouu’ree sooo innn love wiitthh hhiimmmm.” Jess jeers, slinging an arm over Poe’s shoulder where he stands at the bottom of the stairs after following Finn towards the stairs.

“My gods Pava,” Poe pinches the bridge of his nose. “Have a little tact?”

She snorts under her breath 

“I’m serious.” Poe huffs, turning to sit down on the bottom step. 

Seeing his serious expression Jess raises an eyebrow but sinks down next to him on the step. “Hey, what is it? That’s the Finn you were always talking about right? He seems like a great guy.”

“He is.” The chaos mage sighs, shoulders sinking as he wraps his arms around his knees. “He’s so great Jess. He’s amazing. After everything he’s been through with his curse, he should be cynical and jaded!” Jess says nothing about the soft look breaking out onto her friends face at the thought of the other man. “He’s just… everything makes him happy Pava, stuff that should be taken for granted; like opening a door or… or drinking a cup of hot chocolate. Gods forbid, a good night's sleep.”

“Everything you’ve given him.” Jess notes, nudging Poe with her elbow and wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

“Exactly.” Poe states firmly. “Stuff he should have had all along Jess. And when I cure him, he’s going to have the opportunity to go out into the world and do _so much_. He’s going to get to experience so much of the world's kindness. I’m so excited for him.”

“But what about you?” Narrow brows furrow over hazel eyes and the Healer inhales sharply. “You’re in love with him. Have you thought of not curing him?” Jess asks. “And then just letting him stay here?”

Poe’s jaw drops at her suggestion. “Fuck Jess, what the hell? Of course not!”

She shrugs. “Well, it’s definitely the safer option for you, so I wouldn’t blame you.” When the other man doesn’t say anything Jess nudges him sharply. “It’s only going to get worse for you, you know. You remained unaffected by his chaos curse for way longer than anyone in the entire world could claim to. But I can see it.”

He drags his bottom lip through his teeth. “I can feel it.” Poe admits in a whisper. The roiling chaos magic going on inside of his body even now.

“Your magic is starting to feed off of Finn’s curse. it was already powerful to start with and now it’s even more so. Eventually it’s going to get to a point where it’s going to backlash.” Jess drops her head to rest on her friend’s shoulder. “His curse is going to absorb all the side effects you’re storing in your own magic; and that backlash… it’s not just going to hurt you Poe.”

Magic swirls between them and Poe can feel Jess’s healing try to work it’s way inside of him, trying to heal the fissures that have started to form around the core of his chaos magic. Every ounce of curse he’s kept from affecting Finn, now trying to poison his own magic.

“I know what it’ll do to me.” Poe mutters. He sets his own cheek against the soft strands of Jess’s hair and sighs. “But I’m fine, Jess. Finn deserves every happiness in the world, and backlash or not, I’m not worried about what happens to me if it means he’ll be cured.”

“It could kill you.”

“Finn’s worth so much more than just me, Jess.” Poe sighs, lets his eyes slide closed even as his magic does it’s best to flare to life. “I can handle a chaos curse. Don’t you worry.”

Jessika worries.


	10. bad luck be damned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *stares up sheepishly from the floor*
> 
> So, sorry about the wait... But please enjoy the last full chapter of Born Under a Bad Sign! I'm also hoping to get the short epilogue I started up in the next few days. 
> 
> Thank you all for your patience, and also a huge shoutout for Mssrj for proofreading this last chapter and all the encouragement. And also to Nat whose wonderful reviews lately gave me the kick I needed to finish this!!
> 
> Feel free to come into my inbox here or on Tumblr: @waywaychuck to ask me about any lore or character questions!

Finn doesn’t sleep that night. Stares at the second Lepidolite crystal Poe had given him that he’s set on the bedside table next to the mini red orchid that’s still there. It’s few new blooms ready to break open, and for hours Finn sits on the edge of his bed, thoughts racing. 

When he looks up, Bee is gone, off to Poe’s room no doubt and around him, Rey is as silent as he’s never heard her. Not since the day he first entered the house and only felt a small rumble in return.

His thoughts still race in circles in his head; around and around yet always landing on Poe. 

Always back to Poe.

_“and that backlash… it’s not just going to hurt you Poe”_

Finn grits his teeth, the worry and fear he’s felt since he was a child, now thick and cloying. Clogging and sticking like tar in the back of his throat.

_“It could kill you.”_

He doesn’t want to hurt Poe. 

He can’t. He won’t.

And if that means going back to dealing with the curse himself… than so be it.

Finn pushes himself to his feet to stare out into the inky black of the night and comes up with a plan.

—

Poe startles in the doorway of the kitchen, pausing when he sees Finn on the floor next to a bucket, wet rag in hand and scraping up the last of the black tar they hadn’t had the energy to clean up last night. “Hey, morning.” He greets around a yawn. “You’re up early.” 

Finn pauses in his busy work to glance up at the tired looking witch. Takes in the sleep mused curls and rumpled Panama’s. The five o’clock shadow that’s just a little darker than normal on Poe’s chin. He’s beautiful. Truly, Finn thinks with a growing sense of dread. “Morning.” He’s all but helpless to greet back.

Lines crinkle along Poe’s forehead as he kneels down in front of the younger man, carefully taking the rag from his hand to drop back into the bucket. “Hey,” Poe frowns, wiping his hand off on his pants before reading out to cup Finns cheek in his hand. Not noticing the bolt of heat his touch sends shooting straight through Finn. “Is everything okay? You look like you didn’t sleep a wink.”

Finn grimaces. Mostly because it’s true. 

“Was it the creature last night?” The witch asks. Loops an arm though the younger man’s to pull him to his feet. Poe does his best not to grimace in worry when he can feel the way the chaos curse is trying to worm it’s grip back into parts of Finn. Parts of the curse that his own magic has already pulled from him. A night without sleep and the curse was able to get so powerful? Poe worries at that with a sense of dread. 

“I-uh,” Finn stammers, but sits into the chair Poe pushes him into without complaint. His limbs feel like lead. “I think so.” He finally mutters, unsure if it’s a lie or not. Throughout his years with the curse, Finn’s never felt like this. Was always aware of what he could do to others, accepting as to what the curse would eventually do to himself. But he’s never felt the dread growing inside him like it is now.

He hadn’t been aware of what he could do to **Poe**.

And that… that is apparently a line Finn won’t cross. 

Hurting Poe isn’t something he thinks he could come back from.

“Finn?” Poe’s voice jars him out of his thoughts and dark eyes shoot up to worried brown, the warmth and concern he sees there almost feels like too much. Finn shakes himself, realizes Poe must have asked him something but for the life of him, he has no idea what it was. 

“Sorry,” says Finn, trying to give Poe a reassuring smile, but it must fall flat because the witch's face only gets a few more lines around the corner of his eyes. “I’m half asleep I guess, what did you say?”

Poe’s hand is back on his cheek. “I was saying that I was going to go with Jess to find the trail of that creature, but I think I better stay here.” He repeats, eyes softening a bit when he sees Finn start to object. 

“No, I’m good,” The younger man says. Shifts to sit up straighter, as if to prove that he’s fine and Poe has no reason to worry. “I’m fine, you should go.”

The witch raises an eyebrow at his friend. He can tell Finn is lying, but he’s not sure why. Could it have been the creature? Could it have freaked the younger man out enough to scare him away from magic? “Finn, it’s okay, I don’t need to, I can send Bee with her.”

Finn takes a deep breath, settles himself and looks directly into those brown eyes he’s come to need far more than he ever should have let himself. “Poe, really,” his smile is a little more real this time. Helpless to be in the face of Poe and his ever present kindness. Even as his brain starts to wander back to his desperate plan, pieces falling into place. “Go, help Jess. From what I’ve seen she looks like she needs the help.” 

Poe snorts, letting his forehead drop to rest on top of one of Finn’s knees, the younger man's pants damp from the water he had been cleaning the floor with. “Alright, alright, if you’re sure?” A nod is his only reply and Poe repeats the motion back at Finn as he pushes himself to his feet. “Okay, but you have to promise me you’ll try and get some sleep while I’m gone?”

“I promise.” Finn lies and the words taste like old familiar ash in his mouth.

—

Jess stumbles into the kitchen sometime in the next hour, hair sticking up and making grabby hands towards where Poe had set up the coffee percolator. The witch had looked up to the ceiling earlier, Rey usually having made them their coffee and hot chocolate respectively by now, but when his house remained still the witch had looked over his shoulder to Finn.

“I’m not sure, she’s been quiet all morning.” Finn mentioned. “I think she’s tired?” 

“Could be. Might be the leftover magic from whatever the creature was last night.” He himself can still feel it. The way it grates and pulls at his own magic. “Well, let me give her a bit of a hand with the rest of the clean up then.” Poe chuckled then and Finn watched as he moved into the kitchen, magic shimmering in the air as he got to righting the rest of his destroyed kitchen. 

Now, Poe is working on the last of the pantry doors and huffing in annoyance when the portal keeps giving him trouble. 

“I always love it when your own chaos magic gives you a hard time.” Jess muses from her spot on top of the counter, Finn sitting next to her, hot chocolate in both of their hands and watching Poe work. 

“You could always help you know.” Poe grits out, tugging on a piece of rather stubborn magic until it finally gives under his own. 

“Not on your life,” the woman shrugs, tapping her mug of coffee against Finn’s mug and the younger man grins at her. They have both learned just how particular Poe is about his magic and trying to help usually just makes Poe more antsy.

By the time Poe finally steps away from the door, the line of his shoulders has fallen in exhaustion and he can feel the way his magic is sparking at his fingertips. It had fought him every step of the way and Poe can do more than curse out whatever that damned turtle was. Electricity zings up his arm and he has to shake his hand out to rid himself of the pain that follows in the wake of the sparks. 

“Everything okay?”

Poe turns to Jess behind him, shoving his hands into his pockets as he does so. He doesn’t need her worrying anymore, let alone dragging Finn into that worry as well. “All good, at least for now.” The witch eyes the glowing portal warily. “But I think I’m going to leave the connection open just in case I can’t get it back again.”

Jess slides off the counter, coming to stand next to him. “Something wrong with the anchor?” The older man can only shrug in reply. He’s not sure, and tells his friend as much. “So we should get going sooner rather than later.” She sighs and sets her cup down by the sink. “Alright, I’ll go get my stuff.” 

The healer makes it a point to nudge Poe’s arm on her way towards the hall and nod towards Finn who is still up on the counter watching the portal with weary eyes. “Gonna go get a goodbye kiss?” She snickers.

“Kriff off, seriously.” Poe growls back, pushing her away with a hard shove and red ears.

—

Finn stares at the portal, it’s normal bright colours now fuzzy and pale. A pit of worry grows inside of him at the way it’s spinning faster than normal. It’s almost enough to make him nauseous. “Are you sure that’s safe?” 

Because **he’s** one to talk about safety.

Poe however shoots him a reassuring grin and claps him on the shoulder. “As safe as.” He chuckles. “Try and get some rest while I’m gone okay? I’ll be back by suppertime.” 

Sliding off the counter, Finn steps into Poe’s space and throws his arms around the witches shoulders. Is sure he holds on far too tight, but Poe doesn’t seem to mind. His own arms lifting to hug back just as tightly. 

“Be careful.” Finn sighs. 

“Always.” Poe smiles.

Their embrace is cut short as Jessika comes back into the kitchen, and before Finn is truly ready, he’s watching Poe and his friend disappear into the swirling vortex. 

Realizes the last thing he’s ever going to see of Poe Dameron is the chaos witches faded brown leather jacket. 

As slowly as he can, Finn heads upstairs to his bedroom.

_His bedroom._

A lump forms in his throat and his eyes burn.

For the first time that he can ever remember, Finn has found a place he doesn’t want to leave. Isn’t being forced to by   
nything beyond his own heart and desire to protect someone he’s grown to care about. He packs his bag slowly, trying to ignore the cold wisp ghosting back and forth across his neck and shoulders. Finn lifts a hand to brush by the ghost when he finally closes the rucksack he’d saved from the day he arrived. 

By the time Finn makes it to the front door, donning the green jacket Han had given him, his movements have slowed to a naught but a crawl. Finn runs his fingers up down the front of the jacket, still soft and warm despite the amount of time in his ownership. Looks around at the scarfs and boots Poe had given to him through his time here.

Finn’s going to miss so much about this place. 

“Look after him for me Bee, okay?” The cursed man sighs. Reaching out to cradle the ghost in his hands. He’s never been able to hear Bee the same way Poe can. Not the same way he can normally hear Rey. 

But the house is silent around him as Finn opens the front door and takes a hesitant step outside. The wind is biting and Finn can see the snow falling quickly just outside the barrier of the house’s magic.

This is for the best, he tells himself, and without looking back, he heads down the steps with his head held high.

Inside the house, Bee swirls around in frantic circles. Energy buzzing angrily as it hovers by the front door, before turning to head towards the kitchen, only to pause. It heads back towards the door, then hesitates unable to decide. Until finally it zooms out of the entryway and veers directly towards the pantry.

The ghost disappears into the vortex, just as Finn steps outside of the wards and the entire house seems to shake and darken. 

—

Finn barely makes it to the edge of town in one piece. Snow and sleet make his path anything but easy, treacherous in parts. He fights his way through the wind; against the wet chill that’s permeated the jacket Finn’s pulled tight around his shoulders. His Curse in full effect he shudders.

However, it’s none of that that makes his trek so difficult. It’s not even the two cars that he’s narrowly missed being hit either.

What makes his path truly awful, is that Finn has no other wish than to be back home. Curled up in the porch and waiting for Poe to get back so they can eat dinner together. Where it’s warm and dry and safe… and Finn’s not sure when he started calling Poe’s house, home. He just knows he can’t go back there. 

Not to Rey. Not to Bee. Not to Poe… not at the risk of hurting him. Finn can not hurt the one person who has made him so happy.

How fitting, Finn finally lets himself think as slush soaks his jeans. His curse’s true power at work. 

When FInn just wants to be next to the other man, but it’s the one place he can never go back to. 

—

_“I’m telling you Finn,” Poe laughs as he hands Finn the last box of Halloween candy. “This is the most kids that we’ve ever had!”_

_Finn shakes his head and puts a mini chocolate bar into the pillowcase a small princess is holding up. He grins at Poe. “Must be your outfit drawing them in?”_

_“What?” Poe frowns, glancing down at his plaid shirt and jeans. Adjusts the toque on his head that makes his curls stick out oddly. “ You mean the witch-Canadian-lumberjack isn’t a frightening look? Is that what you're saying?”_

_He’s not sure what he was saying, too busy laughing as he puts extra candy into the pail of the short kid dressed as a lobster._

—

Finn stumbles, something on his boot giving way, and dark eyes squint through the snow. The frayed lace that had barely been hanging on when he followed Poe home all those months ago has finally given way. Hangs loose and useless; lets in more half melted now that soaks him through to the bone. 

He shakes with the cold but keeps on walking.

—

_Poe waves his hand around, the one that’s not buried beneath the blanket they’re sharing on the couch in the living room anyways. Across the room Bee and Rey are making a mess of the Pictionary board the two men had been using earlier to transcribe Archaic Latin. “The Law of Exchange is so weird. It’s like, you give something, you get something. But it has to be the same?” He weaves his hand back and forth, like it makes all the sense in the world._

_Finn nods, half asleep and barely understanding. For, where in most things Poe is a great teacher, now between the rather hefty portions of pasta they had each had for supper, and the terribly empty bottle of wine on the coffee table next to them, Finn is only partly listening to the Witch’s awful explanation. Just enjoys the way the wine has put some red on Poe’s cheeks._

_Has turned him so animated and makes his brown eyes light up with a spark of what Finn is sure must be his magic. What other reason would Poe’s eyes look so lively for._

_“And… it’s like, exchange, has to be… not fair.. but important?” Poe continues, his knee nudging Finn’s. “Unless it’s a g`ft. Ya know?”_

_Finn is pretty sure he has no clue, but nods like it makes sense for Poe’s sake. He’ll get the cliff notes from Rey later._

—

Finn flinches against a sudden gust of frozen wind. His boot lands on it’s own broken lace when he tries to dodge the edge of a crack, and Finn slips. Falls sideways into the deep puddle just next to it, his knees smacking into the ice covered cracked pavement as he goes down. Pain radiates up his leg.

Gods, he wants to go home.

—

_Finn pauses in the middle of the doorway, dark eyes landing on the witch standing in the middle of the giant window of the porch. His lips pull up automatically, into a smile that threatens to hurt his cheeks. They’ve been doing that a lot lately._

_“Yes, you’re just the perfect little guy aren’t you.” Poe coos, fingers gently grazing over the light pink flower petal of the Middlemist Red. Its blooms beautifully and bright against the dark green of the surrounding plants._

_The witch hasn’t noticed him yet, and Finn keeps quiet. Leans against the doorframe to watch him and Finn feels something inside his chest warm at the idea of Poe caring for the gift Finn had brought him._

—

The snow falls even harder now, whipping around him with a vengeance, and it’s only out of the corner of his eye that he sees a pair of headlights headed straight for him. Finn lets his bag slip from his shoulder, throwing himself bodily out of the way of yet another vehicle. 

Crashes into the wet ground with a pained groan and the screeching of old rusty brakes that echo familiarly in his ears.

—

_Deft fingers, scarred but gentle brush through the wayward curls that keep falling into Poe’s eyes as he sleeps. The witch all but dead to the world now that Finn’s dragged him away from his research to talk him to sleep where they’re pressed together on the couch._

_Poe murmurs under his breath, head forgoing the pillow Bee had brought down for him, only to burrow even closer to Finn’s chest under the blanket and sighs happily. Seeking out the heat of the other man even in his sleep._

_Finn smiles; can’t help curling his arm tighter around the witches waist. Let’s his cheek fall to rest against the soft strands of Poe’s hair as the morning passes in quiet._

—

Salty tears make their way down Finn’s frozen cheeks as he lays still on the ground. He just wants to go home. He just wants to fall to a heap at Poe’s feet and beg the witch to forget about finding him a cure. Wants to beg Poe to look after himself. Even if it means Finn never gets to go outside again. Never get to touch Poe again. As long as Finn could stay there with him.

He just wants to be next to Poe for as long as he can be allowed to.

“What the kriffing hell kid?!” A voice shouts, breaking Finn out of his reverie and the young man suddenly finds himself being pulled upwards with very little effort. 

Finn’s eyes shoot open in shock, jaw dropping when he sees who is holding him up. “S-Solo?”

“Finn.” Han glares back at him, expression still as grouchy and disgruntled as the last time Finn saw him. They stand in the headlights of his rickety old truck, Finn dripping with wet snow and Han looking as untouched as if it were a summer's day. “What the hell are you doing out here! Where the hell is Dameron?”

Inhaling sharply, Finn shakes his head. Throat lodged with unspoken fears and desires, those wanted things sitting far closer to his surface than ever before. Without a word Finn yanks his arm out of Han’s grip. Heads towards his bag, but before he can get his frostbitten fingers around the strap, another larger gloved hand is already reaching out to grab it.

Dark eyes widen and Finn takes in the burly figure before him, the no-nonsense face and the tall looking mohawk. “C-Chewie?” Finn’s voice is like a half frozen breath. A hand lands on his shoulder then, and Finn can’t not turn and look at Han behind him. 

“Finn?” Han frowns deeply. Worry clear. “Whats going on?”

Feels his shoulders fall at the radiating off of the other two and Finn is helpless beneath the onslaught of their dual stare. Lets the tears fall freely as he reaches up to grasp desperately onto Han’s arm. 

—

Chewie sits silent in the backseat of Han’s beat up old Chevy as they drive back towards town. Snow whips by the windshield as Han listens to Finn tiredly admit to him about leaving the house without Poe. 

Words falling from trembling lips and before Finn can stop himself, he’s telling Han everything he overheard between the two witches the previous night. The possibility of backlash. The danger Poe is in from him. How it’s already hurting him.

Han listens until Finn petters off, face grim in the light of the passing streetlamp. He pulls over then, watching the snow blow by them and sighs heavily. “You know Dameron’s probably worried sick about you.” He mutters, glancing at Chewie in the backseat who’s nodding his head. This is a good spot. “Shame, never seen that pain in the ass so hung up on anyone the way he is you.”

Finn’s heart clenches in his chest, pain lancing through him until his eyes sting with tears. Poe was— Poe was hung up on him? It doesn’t matter. It can’t matter. “I… I can’t hurt him Solo… I can’t.” Doesn’t tell himself he may have already hurt Poe by leaving without a word. The witch can heal from that. 

Poe won’t heal from a backlash of Finn’s curse.

“Yeah?” Han raises an eyebrow and leans over to rest his arms on the steering wheel. “Well, that sucks kid.”

Dark eyes narrow and Finn’s frowns deepens. “That’s it? ‘That sucks’?” He snaps. Heart suddenly at the end of the rope at Hans' easy dismissal. Like this isn’t the hardest thing for Finn to do. “You’re not going to try and convince me to go back or, or…”

Warm eyes crinkle at him, and Finn’s breath catches in his throat. Han still manages to look serious when he’s amused. Not like Poe. Poe, who when he laughs, has it reflected into the very depths of his eyes. A pang of longing hits him then and Finn feels like he’s going to suffocate with the things trying to escape his chest. 

Han doesn’t say anything.

Because Finn doesn’t need him too. He doesn’t need anyone to tell him to go back. Not when he wants to so badly. 

“He— he’s in danger.” Finn says then. 

Han raises an eyebrow. “Then isn’t that a problem for the two of you to handle together?

“But what If I lose him?” His resolve splinters.

“Then you do it together.” Han grins. “That’s what you do when you’re in love Finn.”

Finn shoots out of the truck and runs. Slipping and tripping through snow and sleet and back towards the house. Dares to wonder if he can make it back home before Poe gets worried.

His question is answered however, when he sees something glowing through the snow just ahead of him. It’s light cutting the sheen of darkness. A warmth that feels oh so familiar with it as it draws ever nearer and Finn doesn’t stop running. His entire body hurts, but it’s his heart that swells with love and affection when he sees the bright rainbow colours of Poe’s umbrella.

Even before the man even comes into his view. 

Cups his hands to his mouth and shouts as loud as he can.

“POE!”

Poes eyes tear themselves away from the tiny red orchid in his hand. Glowing as bright and warmly as a midsummers day as he uses it to lead him in the direction Finn had gone. The witch stares in disbelief. In joy. In relief.

Bee had come racing through the portal, a flurry of cold whirls and Poe hadn’t even paid Jessika a backwards glance. Not when he hears Bee tell him that Finn is gone.

The umbrella and the plant slip from his hands, both magicked items disappearing into the snow as Poe throws his arms outwards. Uses his magic to swipe away wind and snow and rain and all but races to launch himself into Finn. The younger man's arms are just as tight around him and Poe isn’t sure which one of them is shaking more.

“I-I came home.” Poe whispers, voice loud with the absent wind. It seems to tremble in Finns ear, cuts to the core of him as him as the witch continues to babble. “You were gone. Bee said you left. I- I’m sorry. Whatever I did. Whatever you saw last night, if it was the creature or— or me… I can fix it Finn. I promise! I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, but please come back, come home-”

Finn shakes his head and buries his face into the crook of Poe’s neck. Soaks in the warmth there that starts to seep feeling back into the skin of cheeks. Yet at the same time, Finn also feels a tug at the very core of him. The strangest sensation of some sort of power sliding from him and towards the witch. Realizes with dawning horror that he can feel it now. “My curse Poe.” His voice hoarse and frozen. “It’s affecting you.”

Poe pulls back with a frown, but he can’t bring himself to go far. Just enough distance so that he can draw Finn’s head back, so he can meet those handsome dark eyes that take his breath away every time. Sees the fear in them that is as prevalent as the kindness normally is. “Finn. It’s not.” He starts but the younger man cuts him off.

“It is Poe!” Finn cries, clings frantically to brown leather even as he puts a bit of space between them. “You said it wasn’t going too and it is.”

“Finn, no!”

“I ran Poe. I had too.” Finn shoves Poe away then. Lets his hands drop. Wonders if maybe this is what he needed to be able to leave properly. No matter what Han said. “Y-you should be scared of me!”

Brown eyes flash and Poe takes back his hold on Finn's arms, wanting to shake some sense into that thick stubborn skull of his. Growls out; “I’M NOT SCARED OF YOU FINN!” And his next words tumble out, completely unbidden. “I’M SCARED OF LOSING YOU!”

Finn freezes. What? “What?” Could… could Poe…

Poe steps away from Finn, and the younger man lets him go. The wind and snow gather a little closer to them, his emotional withdrawal mirrored in his magic that holds the storm at bay. Shifts back and forth as he tries to look anywhere but at the man in front of him. Doesn’t want to be there for the ‘thanks, but no thanks’ part that he knows is coming next. Gods, no wonder Finn ran. 

“I’m not scared of what your curses magic will do to mine.” the older man finally sighs, shoulders sagging in defeat as he finally glances back to Finn. “I know what I can handle, and I can live with whatever repercussions I get hit with. But I said I would cure you Finn, and I meant it. Every single time. It’s nothing less than what you deserve.”

The younger man shakes his head. Melting snow flying from his hair and running in cold rivulets down his cheeks. “I can’t stand by and let you get hurt Poe! Not for me.”

But Poe is already reaching out to take Finn’s arms in his hands. “Finn, trust me. Please. I’m not gonna get hurt-”

“You are!” Finn shouts, dark eyes blazing like dying embers. “I heard what Jess said, Poe!” He hears the witch inhale sharply. Feels Poe stiffen like he does every time he gets caught stealing. “The backlash she was talking about. If you keep staying around me, it’s only going to get worse. It’ll hurt you Poe! Badly!”

“That’s my choice to make Finn. I want to do this for you!” Poe grits out, cursing Jessika Pava to every other dimension right now. “I know the risks!”

“IT WILL KILL YOU AND YOU STILL TRIED TO HELP ME!”

“OF FUCKING COURSE I STILL TRIED TO HELP YOU!” Poe snaps back and they’re clinging so tightly to each other now. Yelling fear and worry back and forth in dizzying circles. “I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU YOU STUBBORN IDIOT!”

Even the storm seems to freeze around them and Finn watches the way colour drains out of Poe’s face. Stands there shocked, only moving when he feels the witch try to pull his hands away. Only Finn doesn’t let him. Pulls and pulls on him until Poe is crashing bodily into him and Finn takes a chance. Wraps an arm around Poe’s waist and sets his other hand against the back of wet curls and gives himself over.

Dives into the feeling of pressing his lips to Poe’s.

When they part, Poe’s expression has changed to complete and utter bafflement. Shock, Finn thinks, he’s actually managed to shock Poe into silence. Then he sees the crinkles start to form in the corners of Poe’s eyes. Sees it for the joy it is.

“I never had a name for the happiness I feel around you.” Finn admits quietly. Thinks he finally gets what the feeling growing inside of him has been all along. The one thing that’s been stronger than the chaos curse eating him alive. Finn clutches at Poe desperately. Feels like he’s crossing over boundaries he wasn’t aware existed in the first place. “If that’s love... then Poe, you have to know I love you too. I couldn’t stand to see you get hurt. Least of all by me. I love you too much.”

A wet sound breaks it’s way out of Poe’s throat and past the smile breaking out on his face. Then the witch is throwing his own arms around Finn and the younger man grunts when Poe clings to him and shakes.

“I love you Finn. I do,” Poe gasps out, throat clogged with unshed tears and happiness as his hands trace over every inch of the younger man. Has to make sure he’s okay with his own two hands. Poe looks up over Finn’s shoulder to see Han watching from next to his truck with Chewie and the witch doesn’t even care that they can see them. Just mouths a ‘thank you’ to Solo and hopes to whatever the hell Han is, that the man knows how grateful Poe is for him finding Finn before something terrible had happened.

When they finally let go, neither man wants to move very far. Neither one of them willing to let go first this time. It’s Finn though, who breaks the tentative silence between them with a wet laugh. “You know that was my first kiss.” Trails his fingers down hesitantly to Poes. Feels the tug in his heart and on his curse all over again when the witch clings tightly back to him.

Poe stares at him aghast, because oh god, did he make it okay? Was it too desperate? Was it-

Finn hauls him into another kiss and yes, it’s inexperienced. Messy with melted snow and full of teeth. Yet Poe has never loved any kiss more. 

“You know, I’m not going to be… good at this.” Finn warns with a sigh. Words pressed close to the rough skin of Poe’s cheek. 

The chaos witch just laughs and hauls Finn back into another kiss, muttering. “News flash Finn, no one is. No one in any of the dimensions is good at this.” 

Finn shakes his head slowly, smiling all the while as he lets Poe lead their next kiss. Because this is it. This is everything. More than finding the cure to his curse; more than getting rid of the bad luck that has plagued him since he was a child. More than the safety of Rey or all the magic in the world. 

All Finn had ever truly wanted was someone who saw every terrible part of him; and loved him anyways. 

“Well, I guess I don’t really need to be here then.” Han grumbles from next to them. “When you two lovebirds pack it in, I’ll meet you two at your place.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IN FURTHER TERRIBLE NEWS! I'M PLANNING A SEQUEL!
> 
> ... eventually.


	11. we go together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BAD SIGN BUT NOW WITH AN EPILOGUE!! 
> 
> Thank you everyone for all your love and support throughout all of this. Here's a little bit extra before I try to knuckle down and start the sequel!
> 
> No promises though... it is me.

Warmth. That’s the first thing that Finn notices when he wakes up. So different from the way he had found himself yesterday morning. 

Cold. 

Tired. 

Alone.

But not now. Now he’s well rested and warm. Comfortable. With the scent of humid soil in his nose and the feel of strong arms wrapped around him. The events of the previous day come back to Finn slowly as he wakes. 

Leaving. 

Han almost running over him… 

Poe. Poe, who came after him. 

Coming home. 

The shower Poe had shoved him into to warm him up. Han making them something to eat and then… and then Poe had pulled him into an embrace that Finn never wanted to leave. So he didn’t. He just tugged the witch out to the porch to lay down for a short while and that had been it for both of them. Falling asleep tangled up together on the lounge.

It’s the familiar feeling of eyes on him that truly manages to pull Finn from warm dreamless sleep however. But unlike every time before, these eyes don’t make his skin crawl. Because Finn knows immediately who it is; if only by the comfort those same eyes have promised him. If only by the love shining in them when they look at him. Love that Finn can apparently feel even with his own eyes closed. Wonders how he missed it… but knows exactly why he did.

Finn huffs a quiet laugh. Lets a warm breath curl out from his lungs and fill the tiny space between himself and Poe that sleeping on the chaise had barely afforded them. He cracks his own eyes open slightly and sure enough, Poe is propped up on an elbow, brown eyes soft as he gazes over the younger man laying beside him. 

“Mornin’.” Finn greets lazily. Feels a bloom of heat warm his cheeks when the witch smiles back at him. “You’re up early.”

“Couldn’t sleep.” Poe admits softly. A small furrow pulls his brow down and his voice drops when he adds. “You scared me yesterday.”

The younger man grimaces, tightening his arm around the witch’s waist. Doesn’t want to apologize for trying to protect the man who has saved him from every bad thing that had ever befallen him. “Poe.”

“It’s okay.” Brown eyes catch his own and Finn can’t help the way his breath catches at the understanding shining back at him. His heart beating quicker at the worry hiding behind it. “I know that your curse is scary. That you didn’t want to hurt me, or anyone else with it.” Poe traces the curve of Finn’s cheek with his thumb and smiles helplessly. “Just… next time you want to leave; take me with you okay?”

Dark eyes flutter shut and Finn couldn’t stop the laugh bubbling up in his chest even if he tried. But he relishes having a reason to laugh now, when for so many years he didn’t. Even if the reason for that laughter is Poe’s sheer stubbornness. “That would be defeating the purpose of leaving. I wouldn’t be able to protect you from me.”

The witch grins. Like that’s the whole point. 

A loud bang from the other room makes them both jump and Poe curls an arm tight around Finn's body. Pulls the younger man in as close as he can while drawing magic to him with his other hand. Ready this time. Only a second later Poe lets the magic fall away when the sound of Han’s laughter echoes out of the kitchen. Reaches them through the partially opened door neither of them remembers leaving open.

“Please tell me he’s not breaking my kitchen.” Poe huffs. “I just fixed it.” 

Finn chuckles, patting Poe on the chest before extracting himself from the witch’s arms. Holds out a hand to help the other man to his feet so they can walk together, fingers clasped tightly to one another, into the kitchen.

Not even a second later however, Poe is ducking behind Finn when a mug comes flying right at his head. It thunks into the wall without breaking and both men stare at it before glancing over at Han who is leaning against the counter, coffee in hand, and another mug floating by his head. Said mug bobbing up and down in the air like a pitcher getting ready to throw a ball.

“I like your house.” Han chuckles, eyeing the empty space next to him just as the second mug goes flying. “She’s got spunk.”

Finn reaches out to catch the mug as it goes flying around him towards Poe and the younger man glares at the house. “Rey.” He chides sternly. 

The house seems to huff around them, thrumming in annoyance and Finns face softens as he listens to the house curse at the witch. “Come on Rey, you know that me leaving wasn’t Poe’s fault.” 

For a moment it doesn’t seem like Rey will be swayed, but then Han is making a noise like one would call a dog, and the house huffs, but backs off. Takes the mug out of Finns hands and floats a different one over to him to replace it. A mug that’s hot to the touch and full of foamy chocolate. 

“See, I told you you were everyone's favourite Finn.” Poe mutters, peering over the younger man's shoulder to see if it’s safe to surface. Glares at the hot chocolate when there’s no black coffee to follow it. Huffs up at Rey. “You really gonna be like that. I put you back together remember? And I went and got Finn back.”

Finn rolls his eyes, taking a sip of his drink before curling Poe’s hands around the mug instead and giving the ceiling a firm side eye. Silently telling Rey not to knock it away from him. The last thing he feels like dealing with right now if getting between the witch and his house in one of their bickerments.

Poe takes the hot chocolate, but sticks close to Finn’s side just in case as he heads towards the fridge. Veers off though when Han beckons him over. Poe’s expecting another kitchen item to come flying at him and Rey thrums around him like she’s tempted, but thankfully there’s nothing. 

Just Han, putting a vial full of black liquid into his hand. Poe stares down at it in confusion. “Ew.” 

“Pulled this chaos magic out of your house. Rey was pretty grouchy about it.” Han muses, wiping his hands on his shirt after passing it to the chaos witch. “Not sure what it is exactly, but it was trying to worm it’s way through the wards of your house.” 

Poe frowns, bringing the vial up to eye level. It’s the same black, tar-like substance that had slugged off the creature two days prior. He can feel the chaotic energy, the broken magic that sparks and sizzles out inside the vial. Feels as it struggles to reach out for his own magic, a desperate attempt to keep itself going. It reminds him strangely of the way Finn’s curse acts around his magic. “Well, that could have posed a serious problem.” It already had, affecting Poe’s magic and also Rey’s, if her silence yesterday and her extra annoyance today is anything to go by. 

“What is it?” Finn asks, coming up beside Poe, milk carton in hand. Slips his other along the witch’s waist, solely because he can now, and peers at the vial. Can’t hide the shiver that crawls up his spine at the sight of it. The same ill feeling the creature gave him and the same dizzying sensation that the attic gives him both radiate off the vial in Poe’s hands. 

“Nothing good.” Poe mutters, motioning for Finn to stand back for a moment. Upends the vial into his palm, only for his entire left side to jolt in pain as the black tar curls around his hand. The witch does his best to hold back his wince and Poe breathes through the burn. Lets his chaos magic do what it can to absorb the unhinged magic. Purple light spreading out from his skin, encasing the tar before turning to a bright orange. 

When the light and the pain finally fades, all that’s left in the witches hand is a fine black powder.

“Sand?” Finn asks, coming back to Poe’s side with a frown.

“Debris.” The chaos witch corrects. “Leftovers of a chaos spell that didn’t have enough power to take physical form without the source present.” 

“The source?” The younger man blinks for a moment, thinks back to all that Poe’s taught him about Magic and it’s components. “You mean the turtle?” 

Poe nods. “Yeah, and short of going to visit Ackbar and getting a bunch of the turtles blood, there isn’t anything I can use to track where the creature would have come from.” He eyes the vial that’s as clean as if it was brand new. Not a trace of tar left inside it. Sets it back on the counter and looks to where the sand had fallen to the floor. It holds as much sway like this as regular sand but it makes Poe bite his lip in worry regardless. The power the creature had held, if it could leave remnants as painful as that… 

“Hey.” 

Brown eyes glance up from the sand to find Finn suddenly standing in front of him. All gentle eyes, easy smile and seeming nothing but calm. Nothing like the fear and sadness Poe had seen last night before dragging Finn back home.

“We’ll figure it out.” Finn whispers, taking hold of the hand Poe had poured the tar into. Rubs his thumb over the unmarred skin as if to prove to himself that it hadn’t hurt the other. “Together.”

“And in the meantime?” Poe’s frown slides away as he threads his fingers through Finns. Delights in being able to do so and not left to imagine what it would be like. “We go back to curing you.”

The muscles in Finn’s jaw tighten. “Poe.”

Poe smirks, lets a bit more of his worry fall away. Adores Finn’s disapproval already.

“How about in the meantime,” Han interrupts, waving a package of bacon between the two men to break them apart. “We sit down and eat breakfast?”

—

Poe finishes up the fresh pot of coffee while Han and Finn get to work on the bacon and the eggs. He also makes sure to give Finn back his hot chocolate before running upstairs to change clothes. It’s only on his way back to the kitchen that Poe pokes his head into the living room in search of his ghost, to find Chewie snoring away on the couch. As predicted Bee is floating in circles above him, amused by the Spirit sleeping in the living room, calls out to it softly. “Bee.”

The ghost perks up, zooming over to the chaos witch when Poe holds his hand out for the ghost to brush across. Grinning as Bee goes through his arm before moving up, around his neck to bring a wisp of cold air against his cheek. “Hey buddy.” Poe coos, cuddling the ghost as close to him as he can. Inhales the cold air that follows Bee everywhere and lets it wash over him for a quiet moment. “Thank you for coming to get me yesterday. I seriously owe you.” 

Behind him, Poe can hear Finn and Han clattering around in the kitchen. Their voices hushed and laughter low; combining into a sound that finally starts to settle the fear Poe had felt upon rushing home, only to find the house empty. It’s lively. Comforting. The sound of Finn’s voice is enough to make the final bit of tension that has been lingering in his shoulders to slowly fade away. 

Yet Poe can’t completely stop the way his mind keeps flashing back to the moment he stepped out of the portal yesterday. Bee whizzing and buzzing around his head without pause. Until Poe had finally just left Jess to do what tracking she could and followed the ghost. Remembers how he had stopped dead in his tracks, heart in his throat when he was only met with a scarily silent house.

It had freaked Poe out. To come back to nothing… to his home as empty as it was before Maz called him and led him to Finn. Poe wonders how he became so reliant on Finn for company so quickly. When he had lived by himself just fine for years. But there was just something so-- so _magical_ about Finn’s presence. Something that had nothing to do with magic at all-

A loud snore breaks through Poe’s thoughts, startling him enough that he accidentally puts his hand back through Bee. The ghost nudging him back playfully and Poe grins at the little ball of energy. “Yeah, you’re right. Time for breakfast.”

—

“So I was doing some thinking.” Han mutters around a mouthful of toast after they’ve all sat down. Poe and Finn look up at him in unison and if Han were less of a nice guy, thinks he’d call them on how disturbingly sweet they are together. 

“Did you hurt yourself?” Poe asks jokingly. Raising an eyebrow jokingly even as Finn reaches over to hit his arm with the back of his hand in reproach. The witch just smirks at the other man and Han can’t not roll his eyes at the practical goo-goo eyes the two are trading. Nauseatingly sweet, more like.

“Hilarious.” The grey haired man takes another bite of his jam covered toast and points at Finn with it. “I was thinking, since your curse is starting to bother Princess Dameron over here,” smirks at the indignant face Poe pulls at that. “How about you come with me and Chewie?”

“Hang on a second,” Poe perks up with a frown. Pursing his lips like he’s just tasted something bitter. “You’ve never invited ME to fly your ship before.”

“An’ I’m not gonna.” Han huffs brushing the witch off and looking at the younger man. “How ‘bout it? I’m not affected by your curse, you can work with me til Dameron here finds you a cure.”

Finn felt it, the moment the offer left Han’s lips. The way Poe froze next to him. No matter how quickly Poe covered it with his complaining, Finn can see the pull of the witches shoulders out of the corner of his eye. No matter how calm Poe’s voice is, his body will always belie his displeasure in something.

Yet Poe doesn’t say anything else and Finn takes a moment to think over Han’s words… would it be so bad? To travel around with Han and Chewie? Bites at his lip in a nervous tick he’s recently picked up before setting his fork down. He glances over at Poe who is looking back at him, emotions hidden behind his brown eyes. “It would stop you from absorbing the side effects of my curse. It’s not a bad idea.” Finn says at last.

Curls bounce as Poe shakes his head, denial already on his lips. “Come on Finn, we talked about this.”

Dark eyes narrow and Finn frowns back at him. Crossing his arms trying to look as stern as possible because, no, they really didn’t. Poe just went and upended his attempt to protect him and won’t hear of anything else. 

Finn is still slightly charmed about the whole thing though. So used to people _wanting_ him to leave instead of the other way around. “Poe.”

“You can’t be rid of me that easily buddy.” The chaos witch says with a chuckle. Turns in his seat until he can rest a hand on Finn’s knee. “The curse I can deal with. But if you leave, then I’m coming with you. We go together.”

Finn can’t stop his smile then. Shakes his head at Poe before looking back to Han and never has he made a decision so easily before. That decision is also helped when he sees the grumpy look Han is giving Poe at the thought of the witch driving his truck. “Thank you. And I mean that Mr. Solo. But I think for now, I’ll stay here with Poe.”

Han lets out a sigh of relief. “Thank god. The last thing I need is Dameron traveling around in my ship and accidentally blowing shit up.” Finn blinks, mouth forming around the word ‘ship’ but Han just shrugs at him and looks to Poe once more. “Have you thought about asking Luke?”

The groan Poe lets out then drags Finn away from the ‘ship’ comment and he feels Rey perk up in the back of his mind as well. “Who’s Luke?” He asks looking between the other two.

Poe grimaces, almost a full on pout really and drops his head onto Finn’s shoulder to glare balefully at Han across the table. “Thought about it yeah, but I haven’t scraped the bottom of that particular barrel just yet.” 

“I know he hasn’t been the same since...” Han’s words trail off, shaking his head but Poe nods in understanding anyways. “But it could do him some good too you know.” The grey haired man adds, and there’s a sadness to Han’s eyes just then that has Finn hurting for him. Even if he has no idea why. 

“Hold up, who’s Luke?” Finn repeats his question, prodding Poe off of him so he can meet his eyes. Rey prods even more against the back of his mind and he can’t help but wonder to himself why the name rings familiar with him.

Poe straightens up, reaching over to grab his mug with a pensive look on his face. Takes a slow sip of his coffee before answering. “Luke Skywalker, he- he’s Han’s brother in law.” Finn lifts a brow, unfamiliar with the term and Poe easily reads the confusion on his face without him even having to ask. “It means that Han was married to Luke’s sister. She was also the woman who taught me magic.”

Finn remembers Poe bringing her up before. Had only made mention of his teacher whenever he got caught up teaching Finn more about magic. But he never lingered on the subject after speaking of her; and the pain in his eyes when he had, had made Finn hesitant to ask for more information. But now, if this Luke person can help cure him, and in doing help protect Poe. Finn is willing to try and gather the courage to ask. “Is he… is he good with curses? Should we go see him?” 

The witch sighs with a low groan. “Luke is the best Healer in the world Finn.” Drops his head to the table, muttering something about ‘drama’ and Han laughs at him. 

“Face it son, you know he’s the best with something this complex.” Han chuckles, lifting his coffee mug in a salut towards Finn.

“Fine, we can go talk to Luke.” Poe huffs into the wood. Tilts his head sideways to glance at Finn, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth when he sees the excitement starting to light up those beautiful dark eyes. “Feel like a little trip? ”

“Together?” Finn asks. Needing, despite his own words, to make sure.

“Together.” Poe promises.

Across the table Han rolls his eyes and shoves the rest of his toast into his mouth to hide his smile.

—

The kitchen is a flurry of motion after the dishes are finished. Chewie wakes up and lumbers around the kitchen looking for leftovers with his face buried in a cup of coffee. Poe comes back downstairs from the attic and Finn watches him work on the portal in the pantry for a few minutes. All the meanwhile Han is giving him pointers for dealing with Luke and Rey keeps nudging him towards the entryways. Finally he pulls himself away from the older man to follow her. 

Only to raise an eyebrow as she floats his jacket in front of him as soon as he steps towards the front door. Finn huffs a laugh but slides into it regardless. Who is he to argue with a house? “Alright, alright, but we still have to wait for Poe.”

Finn’s just finished tying his boots when Rey also takes the orange hat off the stand and tugs it down over his head. “Hey!” He sputters, shoving it up and is met with a scarf suddenly wrapping around his neck as well. By the time he gets undone from that, Finn almost gets bowled over by two familiar items flying down the steps to hover before him.

A metal tie pin and a rainbow coloured feather. 

“You know, you could just hand me my stuff like a normal person.” Finn sighs at the house, attempting to untangle the scarf from around himself. He does dutifully however slide the tie pin and feather into the inside pocket of his jacket

Rey just laughs at him as Finn scurries out of the hallway and back towards the kitchen.

“I think Rey’s very excited for us to leave.” Finn muses taking Poe’s hat off and shoving it into his pocket as he steps up next to the other man

“I’m getting that feeling from Bee too.” Poe laughs. Said ghost is bouncing around his shoulders excitedly. Poe ducks around it, straightening after gathering the two vials on the floor that he carelessly deposits on the counter. He leans into Finn when the younger man reaches out to take his hand hesitantly. Grins widely as he clasps it tightly in his own and smirks. “All set to go?”

Dark eyes regard Poe for a moment and Finn doesn’t waver as he pulls the witch into his arms. He’d been longing to do this again since he woke up. Hopes and prays that those words Poe said, the kiss he gave him, wasn’t all part of Finn’s imagination. “Is this okay?”� He asks tightening his hold.

“Gods yes, of course Finn, I-” Poe cuts off when suddenly Finn is moving even closer and Poe gasps into the press of lips on his own. It’s clumsy, wet with a little too much tongue, a show of Finns inexperience; but it’s the best damn kiss Poe’s ever had.

Save one last night in the snow.

Finn breaks apart just long enough to ask, “That’s okay too?” 

“Yeah.” Poe groans low in his chest, tilts his head to the side and softens the next kiss, feels Finn move to mirror him and then they’re pressing together; chest to chest with their fingers intertwined and excitement curls along Poe’s veins.

“Hey, pack away the love fest already. You kids need to get going.” 

The two men break apart, but Poe tightens his grip around the warm hands in his own when Finn starts to draw away. Uses his grip to pull Finn back into his space as Poe turns to glare at the two men coming back into the kitchen. “Haven’t you left yet Han?”

“Nah, not gonna either.” The older man laughs. “Chewie and I are gonna stick around. Least until you get back anyways. The roads are terrible out there. Besides you never know who you’re almost going to hit out there in the snow.”

Finn glares over Poe’s shoulder at him while the Witch just blinks in confusion.

“Oh for fucks sake Han,” Poe drops his forehead onto Finn’s chest. “Please tell me you didn’t kill someone and are now using my house as a hide out!”

Han rolls his eyes and makes a shooing motion towards the glowing portal. “Just go already!”

Poe opens his mouth to object, but Finn cuts him off.

“Come on Poe,” Finn laughs, taking the witch's hand once more. “The sooner we go, the sooner we can come home.”

“Sounds good to me.” Poe grins and together they step into the portal. The doors of the pantry sliding closed behind them as they disappear.

Bee hovers anxiously in front of the door for a moment and Rey thrums around the house, doing her best to comfort the small ghost.

“Don’t worry you two,” Han chuckles, finally turning away from the door. “I think they’ll be just fine.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think! :D


End file.
